


Royalties

by LamiaHypnosia



Series: Our Time In The Universe [6]
Category: The Outer Worlds
Genre: Angst, Drama, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Male-Female Friendship, May/December Relationship, Mystery, Past Relationship(s), Post-Canon, Romance, Sexual Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:21:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 31,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25943518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LamiaHypnosia/pseuds/LamiaHypnosia
Summary: Before she was frozen, Kenna wanted to be a musician. With art no longer outlawed as dissident behavior in Halcyon she might get her wish. Her former band mates track her down intent on riding the coattails of her fame, and everyone realizes this is the case except her as the corporations fight for who gets the rights for sponsorship.To make matters worse one of these hangers-on is an old flame who has the charisma to lead the entertainment industry beyond corporate-approved jingles and propaganda laden motion pictures, and possibly give Kenna the life she always wanted in a way Phineas never could.Meanwhile a serum that can replicate the tactical time dilation is being manufactured by a mysterious new player in the pharmaceutical game. No one can be trusted, and it might take more than a few well placed bullets to set things right again.
Relationships: Female Captain & Maximillian DeSoto, Female Captain/Original Male Character (past), Female Captain/Phineas Welles, The Captain/Phineas Welles
Series: Our Time In The Universe [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1663147
Comments: 32
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

If you were to list the things that Phineas Welles expected to find in his room, you could probably name anything off the top of your head. Laundry, dirty dishes, cystypig droppings. Vials of Law knows what. Bit cartridges. Holey socks.

A naked woman sleeping in his bed wasn’t anywhere on that list, was it?

But there she was. Lucky number thirteen, Kenna Kay Frost, Captain of the Unreliable, his accomplice, unlikely friend turned impossible lover. He’d brought her back to life to be his agent, hoping her attachment to the plight of her fellow colonists would be enough for her to help him. That or feel under obligation to him at least, or be enticed by the promise of payment. He couldn’t appeal strongly to either -conscience or wallet- but she helped him anyway mostly out of contempt for authority. Then she always wanted to spend time with him even outside of work. For his part Phineas enjoyed Kenna’s company. The strain of everything caught up to both of them and they turned to each other for companionship. The hugs were of comfort, the kisses of gratitude. 

But there was more to it than he realized. He flat out denied it. Phineas loved Kenna, true. In a platonic way. Sure, she was lovely. Anyone with working lamps saw that and Dr. Richards teased him for having a pretty young thing as his associate. He saw the looks the other men gave her and he wanted to blacken their eyes for looking for he truly knew her and that her beauty was more than skin deep.  
Yes he saw it, Phineas was a man but he was smart enough to know a woman thirty years his junior wouldn’t touch him with a ten foot pole.  
And yet.  
And yet. He couldn’t deny his yearning. Not just for the feel of her lips but for her companionship, a closer bond where he could be beside her, his feelings understood even unspoken. Beside her, supporting her, and she him. Sure, he wanted her to be happy and safe, lived to hear her laugh and see her smile.  
Then there had been that wonderful terrifying time when she kissed him and his love for her was full bloom. 

Somehow, someway she’d gotten under his skin. She’d enriched his life in a way no one had done and sometimes...sometimes he had to stop and make sure this was real. Especially now that his thirty five years of life on the run were over. Time had a way of folding in on itself, the days blurring together one into the next. He kept his head deep in work and sometimes it took him some time to come back to reality, a deep sea diver returned to the sunlight. Only this lab there was no warm sun, only an air cycler coughing the same cool air and the same asteroid belt that had been his safe haven all these years. 

Phineas was in his sixties, spent half his life on the run from the Board with nothing but his own thoughts and the nightmares to keep him company. He’d watched young people suffer under the yoke of oppression, seen them throw their lives away for corporations that saw them as easily replaced parts in a machine. He’d seen the infinite dark of space and was keenly aware of his own mortality. The work. His work must continue. His work was all that kept him going.

He thought he was done with fear. But he also thought he was done with love.

Likely she had gotten too relaxed after a shower. Kenna slept like a rock, that Phineas knew but he still tread lightly around her. It might be prudent to wake her soon but how to do it. Phineas gazed at her for a while, not in any kind of lewd manner though he was familiar with her. Intimately familiar. He was just a man who appreciated art. She lay on her stomach, one leg drawn up demurely as she dozed on her forearms. Really, the woman could sleep anywhere, a peculiar little quirk of hers.

He wished she’d wake up so she’d talk to him, talk about anything at all. He loved her. Loved her, her presence, her voice, the cute way her nose crinkled when she was annoyed or suspicious, the exuberance with which she approached every avenue of existence. Charming to friends and ruthless to enemies, with a head full of dreams, a weapon in her hands and the will to use it. If your woman wasn’t full of fire and starlight then what was the point?

“You know,” she said suddenly, not even opening her eyes. “You are allowed to touch.”

Of course she was awake, at least enough to be aware of his presence. “No time for that, I’m afraid.”

Now hiding a coy smile in her folded arms, that silky hair cascading over her back- no Phineas, focus.

“Aw come on.” She pouted.

Phineas suppressed a grin “I’m serious, now get dressed.”

Still dawdling, knowing what her presence was doing to him- no, be strong- she purred “It can be a quick one.”

Phineas made a noise somewhere between mortification and deepest regret. But he stood firm. “I’m sorry but no, my dearest darling, now get dressed and go or by Law, I will escort you out and plant my foot on your charming backside every step of the way!”

She whined at him so he took her by the elbow as though making good on his threat to physically throw her out. Both of them were poorly concealing grins. As she stood up her artfully tousled hair afforded her some modesty as though she were the subject of an oil painting. 

“Oh come on, Phin.” Pinching his shirt collar she tugged him toward her. “Real quick. Please?” Then she kissed him in that way she had, that way that blotted out everything else.

Now he was torn. He could afford to be a little late but what excuse to give? Inwardly he sighed then held her at arm's length. “I will make you a bargain.” 

She said ‘oh’ and gave him a look of disappointment. 

“Listen,” Phineas said quietly “Tonight.”

“I have to be back in Byzantium tonight.” She whispered back.

“Oh,” he echoed. “The very next time we meet.”

She went in for the attack but Phineas knew what she was doing. He evaded her. “Next time. Deal?”

“Deal.” And she sealed it with a chaste peck.


	2. Chapter 2

Phineas stared at the closed door as though he could pierce through the thick metal plating by sheer will. He began to tap his foot in a crisp staccato beat then stopped, rang the doorbell again. The deafening pair of notes were loud enough to hear in the street, a classic ‘ding dong’ that was more akin to an organist playing sound effects in a concert hall in a fit of boredom. Byzantines had a penchant for the dramatic. 

To be fair the house was entirely too spacious for its sole occupant. It was meant to house a family and staff but only a few rooms on the first and second floor were ever used- the kitchen, the den, the master bedroom and a spare bedroom that was converted into an armory. Kenna didn’t like to use it but kept up appearances and all that. But where was she?

Sighing, Phineas turned as an ad droid zipped by. A clock embedded into the door of a nearby bank indicated he’d been waiting nearly ten minutes. Curious, and a little worried, he let himself in.

No matter how softly he stepped the sound reverberated off the tiles in the cavernous hall.   
“Let myself in,” Phineas announced. “I fixed your kettle, cleaned the lime build-up. I told you to use filtered water only. You know you could buy a baker’s dozen of these.” 

He chuckled. But he knew how attached she was to ‘Nigel’ when she could have a number of preprogrammed one-touch hot beverage makers. Law, if there was one that could dispense hot toddies, give back massages and was self-cleaning he’d get her one. If not, maybe he’d invent it. Still, it spoke well of Kenna’s character to want to fix something rather than replace it. Setting Nigel the Kettle back in his proper place on the surprisingly clean kitchen counter Phineas resumed his search.

With every empty room came a sinking feeling and the supernatural stillness greatly disquieted him. The master bedroom was the last place. He heard the steady hum of a blow dryer. Oh, that’s why she didn’t hear him. He’d sit on the chaise lounge and wait for her to notice then make some quip about how easy it was to walk into her house. But that sinking feeling came back. Why had he so easily walked in? Normally the place was locked up tight. 

But the blow dryer was hanging from its cord. Phineas turned it off, casting the room back into that abyssal silence. Tense as a wire he called out “Kenna?”

Out of the spacious bathroom and back into the bedroom. Scanning the room he saw the bed, the coverlet slipped off, not unusual. Kenna, dear though she was, was rather untidy. 

He heard a groan.

Phineas was across the room so fast it would make his love proud. He found her braced between the bed and the floor. Thankfully logic trumped panic- he knew better than to move her without making sure he wasn’t doing her more harm. Once certain she had not broken anything he pulled her onto the bed. “Kenna!”

Briefly she opened her eyes and closed them as though satisfied it was him. Do what you can then you can fall to pieces, he reminded himself but he still was giving her gentle reassuring squeezes, touching her face. “What happened? Who attacked you?”

With great effort she said “He didn’t say.” Hissing in pain “Cameras.”

Cameras? Cameras, security cameras! Tucking pillows under her to prop her up he turned to the far wall, one of the few wooden paneled walls in the entire house and seeking the right place drove his fist into the switch, probably too hard. 

The wall slid open to reveal the closed-circuit network, six massive screens that split further into six views of different areas of the house. Phineas’ knuckles throbbed. He ignored them, jaw set, flicking his eyes across the screens. He at last located the correct camera and how to search the footage.

Hastily he went back to the bed. “Darling, do you know about what time it was?”

Squinting hard she groaned. “It was...maybe half an hour ago. I don’t know. I hit the wall pretty hard. Must have been out for a while.”

Thinking of the cameras was a good indication that no serious damage had been done. Putting aside the urge to find the sprat fuck who hurt his beloved and bludgeon them until he saw red Phineas asked “Do you know what today is?”

“Yeah it’s Wednesday.”

“The full date.”

“Wednesday the twenty-second, of May? What’s with the weird questions” She gestured at the monitors, or tried, her arm fell back to the bed with a thud. “Check the cameras and find the fucker who chucked me across the room. Rude ass. I don’t think anything is missing but I’ll look later.”

Taking his penlight he brought his face close to hers, shining the small but powerful beam into her blue eyes which were wide with confusion, gently pulling up one lid then the other. “How do you feel?”

Closing her eyes against the light she shied away from him.“Like shit! Fuck off with that bright ass light!”  
Dropping a hand over the side of the bed she felt blindly for something and retrieved a small plastic bin of the sort one might place shoes to store in a closet. The lid was gone to better facilitate its actual use- not to hold pricey raptidon leather loafers or Jolicouer pumps but alcohol induced sickness. It was clean at the moment but the faintest stench of bile indicated it had been employed before. 

“I’m making sure you’re not brain-damaged. “ Phineas said tightly. Law, but she was the worst patient. Clicking off the light he returned it to his pocket. “Mild concussion, pain meds and rest. Good rest, no tactical dilation of time, no strenuous activities. “

“This is worse than a hangover.” Kenna groaned and let out a shuddering sigh tinged with a whimper. If Phineas clenched his jaw any harder he was certain his teeth would crack. Returning to the CCTV he reviewed the footage.

A figure, tall, probably male. Broad shoulders. Damn, he had on a cowl or something. Shapeless, no distinguishable features. Well maybe he could take the footage and Hiram could make something of it. A gun was fired. Now that he had collected himself Phineas could smell the faint odor of gunpowder lingering and there were pockmarks in the tiled bathroom wall. He’d fired twice and Kenna had dodged.   
A brief struggle, the gun dropped, Kenna went for it but her assailant grabbed her by the ankle and threw her hard against the back wall where Phineas found her. His clenching jaw sagged a moment but he winced at the impact. For a few minutes the footage showed her hand there clutching at the bed perhaps trying to find purchase to pull herself back up but it slipped loose and fell.   
Dodging bullets was a feat Kenna had mastered, watching the gun movements and timing though being caught unaware could be dangerous. Still, Kenna wasn’t exactly slow and no more clumsy than the average person, just able to slow her perception of time and evade danger.   
And yet this stranger managed to gain the upper hand, plucking her as a fisherman pulls a saltuna from the water and hurling her several feet just as carelessly. Yet he was not provoked nor did he steal anything. A very disturbing puzzle was forming. 

“Well there goes the evening,” Kenna said, face turned toward Phineas as he approached the bed. 

“I’m so sorry, darling. If I’d known you were in trouble I’d have come so fast.” His voice was heavier than he intended. He didn’t want her to see how panicked he was- it would upset her.

“You couldn’t have known.” She reached for him with both hands.

Kenna was already in her nightclothes, a camisole and pajama bottoms with the Spacer’s Choice mascot, the Moon Man, among rockets and stars. Not having planned to spend the night, Phineas removed his jacket and shoes easing into the luxurious bed beside her. “Go on and sleep if you need to but I’ll have to wake you up periodically to make sure there are no further issues.”

She groaned in reply. Phineas pulled her close. “I’m so glad it wasn’t worse. It could have been so much worse, I-” he had to stop this line of thinking- it was too hideous to even imagine. Briefly the vision flickered in his mind- Kenna cold on the floor, eyes shut forever, her merry laughter hushed. He held her tightly to him kissing her hair which was still damp. It smelled sweet courtesy of an Auntie Cleo conditioner the smell of which always made him think of Kenna. 

“Home is supposed to be safe.” She sniffed. “This big empty place alone sucks.” 

This wasn’t exactly how he’d planned their evening- he’d even promised romance. Well while he was glad she was alright she was in no shape for that. Phineas mentally kicked himself for even thinking this. What a stupid thing to worry about, especially now. His anxiety over his desirability in spite of her constant reassurances. “I’m here, for what that’s worth.”

Her voice was muffled but she replied “It’s worth everything.”


	3. Chapter 3

Dr. Welles and his associate had shaken Halcyon to its core. The boot heel had been lifted from the neck of the colony but it would be a good while before Halcyon could get to her feet. It would take everyone to lift this burden. It meant however that for the most part Hiram Blythe was out of work. He expected there to be some adherents to the corporations, maybe some simply afraid of change but there was little an information broker like Hiram could do. 

So when Phineas sent him a wireless message labeled URGENT Hiram was surprised, and though he would never admit it, he was a little excited. 

Someone had attacked Kenna in her house. That was awful to be certain but she’d without a doubt made enemies. He stood arms folded before the monitor watched the playback of the attack, recorded on the CCTV network of her fancy Byzantium house. Nothing had been stolen, someone just broke in and beat the stuffing out of the woman while she was getting ready for the evening.

Hiram’s eyes went wide and he grimaced at the force with which Kenna was hurled into the wall. Phineas was reviewing the footage himself as he stayed in Byzantium for the time being to monitor Kenna -a mild concussion, nothing serious thank the Architect- and scrutinizing every frame for any proof of who this intruder could be. 

‘I want his name, his face, whoever he works for, his shoe size, everything.’ Phineas had written and Hiram pictured the scientist typing hard enough to jam the keys. For some reason Hiram didn’t think the old man was capable of such fury.

It spoke volumes of how much Phineas cared for Kenna and Hiram too felt a pang of wrath for this faceless monster though to a lesser extent. His anger was a fraction of what Phineas must be feeling. Hiram liked Kenna, respected her. Nyoka approved of her and Nyoka always got a good read on people where Hiram was always suspicious of those outside his small circle. 

Nyoka will be upset, too Hiram thought. He could at least count on her to help. Frame by frame he searched the video. Hiram was a cynical man by nature having seen the guilty escape justice time and time again but he allowed himself a sliver of hope that he would find something -anything- that would help them.

-

Between searching for clues on the footage, Phineas checked frequently on Kenna to monitor her breathing and to wake her to be certain she could be awakened. Every time she would whine in protest and make feeble gestures for him to return to her. He wanted to lie there with her and hold her but he had a dead man walking to find. 

He’d also gone over her appointments. Most of them involved him anyway so he already knew the situation. Phineas did however have to write to Minister Clarke to cancel a meeting. He wasn’t sure how to delicately put the situation nor did he want to leave the minister in the dark. 

The backspace button got a lot of use. Finally Phineas wrote the truth, the entire truth. Perhaps Clarke could be of assistance. To his surprise Clarke wrote back in less than ten minutes expressing shock, extending well wishes and yes he would help if he could, won’t you send that video please.

Kenna was abed three days. In that time Phineas hadn’t gotten any closer to finding her assailant, used up all avenues in his reach. By the time lunch rolled around Kenna was feeling well enough to eat properly which they did in the formal dining room- her tired and sullen, him at the head of the stupidly long table also tired as well as defeated. She pulled the chair at his immediate right closer but he still had to make an effort to look at her.

“Lovely. Intimate.” He’d grumbled.

“Hon?” Kenna said at last. Phineas blinked at her.

“Er, hm- yes?”

“You haven’t touched your food. Want some of my hot sauce?”

Phineas said ‘oh’ and stared at his plate. Then the fork. He could feel her eyes on him and picking up the fork ate as obedient as a child. At her question he replied absently “No, spicy things don’t um, agree with me.” 

Even as he ate Phineas puzzled and puzzled some more. The attacker was thorough. He’d avoided the cameras well enough so no one could make out any distinguishing actions or descriptions. No logos, no markings. Nothing. 

As soon as she opened the jar his eyes began to water. “More for me.” She chirped. Phineas waved a hand.

“I don’t know how you and Felix eat that stuff. Going to give yourself an ulcer. Pass the salt?”

Tracing a line of the bright red sauce across her boarst pocket Kenna grinned and closed the jar. “I’m a sucker for pain I guess.” Hesitating she passed him the salt, giving him a stern look. “And go easy on that salt.”

Phineas frowned and salted the cystybits that cooled on his plate. Everything seemed bland lately. “Yes, dear.” he said, meaning to sound flippant.

She chuckled, then after a few seconds in silence laughed freely. Phineas felt a ghost of a smile form on his lips. “What’s so funny?”

“You.” Kenna said fondly. “Me. Just now. Nyoka said we act like a married couple.”

Phineas chuckled. “How’s that?”

“Well,” she began “We argue a lot.”

“Of course we do, because you never listen.” Phineas said airily. He felt her bare foot push his shin. 

“And we take care of each other.”

“Yes. That is true.”

That companionable silence fell between them as they finished eating. 

“Maybe, “Kenna started taking a drink of water, “it was just some freak hopped up on meds.”

“I considered that. But addicts tend to pilfer valuables to support their habit. Some rebellious Byzantine watching too many serials delves into the art of B&E for the thrill of it?” Phineas shrugged. “It’s not as far fetched as you think.”

Kenna’s brow furrowed. “So you’re saying some bored rich person beat me up for the hell of it?”

“Could be for the hell of it, could be because you, my dear, turned the status quo on its head.” Phineas waved his fork at her for emphasis. That at least got a smile from her. “But I’m doing everything I can. I promise.”

They cleaned up in silence. Even though she was safe, even though he was always joyful in her company a dark cloud settled over Phineas’ mood. For a while he paced about the house by himself, the otherwise beautiful home was beginning to feel like some vast unknowable place, like some non-Euclidean nightmare detached from reality. 

Phineas eventually found himself in the den before the enormous mirror that took up nearly the entire part of the wall, floor to ceiling. Maybe it was a trick of the light or maybe it was his tired mind but his reflection seemed younger, almost handsome. Kenna told him he was handsome and that he was far too self deprecating. She’d made it abundantly clear she didn’t care how old he was- she loved him, plain and simple, paid him compliments about his appearance and ways that warmed his heart and pleased him very much. She liked his handwriting, his voice, his laugh, his eyes. Oh please, he was an old codger and she was a work of art.

“Here you are.” Kenna said. Phineas didn’t turn around, only watched her reflection approach. She wore that gaudy yukata she liked to lounge around in and even scrubbed pink with her tangled hair in a knot on the back of her head she looked like an empress. 

He stared at her a long time in silence. She drew breath to speak, reconsidered and remained where she was. "Are you okay?"

Phineas took a deep breath "No, not really. I keep thinking about the other night. Finding you like that. I was so...afraid." 

For a while he looked upon his upturned hands. He didn't realize she was near until she rested her hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"I'm fine." She said "everything will be fine." A little smile graced her lips, still holding her hands Phineas touched his forehead to hers. He felt her cup his cheek in her palm, leaned into her touch.

He brushed a thumb across her lips, cheek. She turned up her face to his. Then the doorbell rang. The rolling puffs of air indicated she was silently laughing as they froze in mid kiss. The doorbell rang again and Phineas said in a low voice “I’m going to shoot whoever that is.”

Reluctantly Phineas let Kenna slip from his grasp. She turned away laughing.


	4. Chapter 4

Phineas still spent most of the time in his lab but also aboard the Hope monitoring the progress of the colonists. While Kenna had made the offer for him to live with her, Phineas declined, since a good deal of what he needed was in his lab and it would take too much precious time to move everything to Byzantium. Besides, the orbital lab was more spacious and more importantly away from prying eyes. Still, they moved as easily in each other’s individual spaces. Kenna deferred to Phineas in his own, he himself observed propriety as ‘man of the house’ when he was in hers and as such answered the door. 

Kenna was close at his shoulder as they both looked upon the visitor, a corporate guard clad head to toe in high tech armor, faceless, shapeless. 

“Good afternoon,” the guard said, a young man with a cheerful and oddly musical voice, not yet dead on the inside from drudgery. He made a small whimpering noise inside his helmet- between that and Kenna’s hand on his shoulder Phineas realized he must have been doing his ‘bootlicker be gone ‘ glare. 

He really needed to stop doing that.

“Can we help you?” Kenna asked maneuvering in front of Phineas as though to protect the young man from him.

“I’m with the Ministry of Earth’s private sector of UDL, I’m here to escort you to Minister Clarke’s office.”

“What’s this all about?” Phineas asked, feeling Kenna’s fingers squeeze his own.

“And why would I want an escort?” She asked, puzzled.

“In light of what’s happened the minister felt you’d be more secure.”

“Well let me make myself more presentable. Do you mind waiting for, oh, ten minutes or so?”

The guard shifted uncertainly. “The Minister ordered me to deliver you in a timely fashion…”

“Okay okay, five.”

It normally took Kenna a good two hours to turn herself out to her satisfaction but her swift cleanups were nothing short of amazing. Of course, to Phineas’ eyes she was more beautiful in her PJs sitting around eating Tileritos staring at the aetherwave than most women posing for a photograph. 

Kenna was still tugging her clothes into place when she walked past Phineas and the guard. “Okay let’s go.”

The guard looked at Phineas. “You should come too.”

The patrols had doubled. Good old Clarke had come through though too little too late. Phineas still took hold of Kenna’s hand to keep her safely beside him. 

“You really are good at this boyfriend thing, I dunno what you were so nervous about.” She said, lacing her fingers with his.

Phineas realized what he was doing and the implications thereof. “Boyfriend.” He snorted but he didn’t let go. The corporate guards were doubtlessly listening but they at least pretended to be vigilant. Phineas almost wanted to stop this conversation before it began out of embarrassment if nothing else.

“Yeah.” Kenna said swinging their joined hands. “Unless that’s not what we’re doing here.” She was teasing but there was a note of pleading in her voice. Bringing her hand to his lips he kissed the back of it reassuringly. But he had a recollection of her telling him of a bad string of relationships. This was long before they realized their feelings for one another. Perhaps subconsciously Phineas resolved to not do these things.

Her smile fell “I’m sorry, I must sound really insecure.”

“We’ll talk about it later.”

Their hands still joined, Phineas and Kenna ascended the stairs leading to Minister Clarke’s office. Normally the sight of Byzantium’s gaudy decor made Phineas itch, but right now he was focused. Clarke was on his feet immediately. "Captain Frost, thank the Architect." 

"You can call me Kenna, you know."

"I met you as the Captain. I'm glad you're alright. " he gestured for them to sit and offered them whiskey which they both declined.  
"We've been working on that footage since we received it. Our surveillance specialists have a few theories." 

Phineas placed both palms on the desk. "With respect, minister, I'm not after theories. I want this man to pay for his crime." 

"I understand but we can't simply barge into places with baseless accusations. The corporations are already at each other's throats. It's all Rockwell can do to keep them from gutting each other. Especially now with new companies starting up. Some of the colonists are the entrepreneurial sort." 

Sitting back in his chair Phineas rubbed his temples with one hand. "Rockwell is a goddamn idiot.”

Kenna sat with her upper body turned toward Phineas but at this she looked to Clarke.“I think what Dr. Welles is trying to say is do we have any concrete evidence on who the person who attacked me?”

“I can’t be certain but I do have a contact who reported a similar attack.”  
Clarke said and turned his datapad toward them. The two leaned forward and Phineas saw recognition bloom on Kenna’s face. The image of a man stared back along with some basic info.  
“Christopher Lane. One of the Hope colonists was attacked in his home not long after you.”

Kenna’s nose crinkled. “I don’t see the connection. Are folks from the Hope being targeted? “ Her eyes went over the datapad again. And again. Then her jaw dropped. “Chris- wait a second, Chris? He’s alive? Oh damn.”

Minister Clarke blinked. “Why, do you know him?”

Wetting her lip she replied in a thin voice. “Carnally.”

Clarke blanched. “Right well I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear that.”

Phineas wished he hadn’t declined that whiskey. Crossing her ankle over her knee Kenna bounced her foot, one of the few quirks of hers that Phineas did not find endearing and she stopped when he gave her a withering look.

Kenna picked at her fingernails. “It’s ancient history. Before we were frozen we had a..complicated relationship. That roundabout thing of best friends, best friends who try dating, split up because he’s breaking off a piece of ass from everything he can catch because now that our band is getting big he thinks he’s hot shit, greatly diminish your role in said band even though you wrote his lines and promoted us through word of mouth alone.” 

She paused to draw breath and tug the reins of her indignation but it reached a trot then burst into a gallop leaping the fence of oversharing.“ Yes, I know him. He’s a completely narcissistic fuckboy and I will talk to him to settle this crap before more people get hurt but I will be hard pressed to not shoot him on sight.”

Closing the datapad Clarke said more to himself than the two present.“Maybe this is a bad idea….”

Kenna snapped her fingers. “No I can restrain myself, don’t worry.” She held up both hands in a miniature shrug. “ I learned my lesson- don’t dip your pen in company ink. Or would it be the pen dipping in my ink-”

“Regardless.” Clarke interrupted. “ I trust you to be professional.”

She waved her hand in a circular motion. “Yeah professional, no crazy ex shenanigans. Just the usual shenanigans. “

“That which you call shenanigans results in a body count and or collateral damage. “Clarke’s tone was severe now. “ Just talk to him, maybe we can make sense of all this.”

Carnally. Great. Phineas dug his fingers into his knees then stopped. Yes how dare she have lovers before you, he thought. It was peculiar how deep the wound by that dart of jealousy was. Jealousy. When had he ever been jealous? People at Kolway boasted about promotions and awards, whose brown nosing got them where they were and so on. 

But that man was perfectly preserved, and nice looking too, if you liked tousled long curls, big dark eyes, perfect bone structure and lips more sensuous and full than every woman he knew, even Kenna. Yeah what an ogre. And maybe he’d changed his ways and would sweep Kenna off her feet.

Some stupid primal urge probably brought on this line of thinking. No no, you are the product of several million years of evolution, act like it. Maybe air your concerns to her- no, let it simmer and boil over with resentment. Yes. There. Ramp up your insecurity to insufferable levels.

What could possibly go wrong?


	5. Chapter 5

The ink on Kenna’s palm had smudged but not so badly that she couldn’t read it. This had to be the place. Just to be sure she’d ask whoever was in here. 

Thankfully she didn’t need to, for seated on the lobby sofa were two people- one she didn’t recognize and the other she thought she’d never see again. Hoped she’d never see again more likely, part of why she let herself become an ice pop.

Both men looked up and recognition bloomed on their faces. Instantly they were on their feet. 

“Kenna!” Said the first, a tall man built like a tank with his dark hair swept back. It took a moment to register for he crushed her to his chest in arms much too powerful. He let go and said ‘sorry!’ when she let out a squeak of surprise and pain. 

“Rhett?” She ventured. He nodded vigorously. Kenna’s grin widened and she hugged him back tightly “Rhett! Look at you!”

He turned his head shyly. “Yeah I had to drop a few pounds to get into the program. I wouldn’t have fit into the stasis pod.” Holding out an arm he flexed, boasting “I could probably carry my entire kit now. In one trip!” 

Chucking, Kenna prodded the rock hard bicep and smiled up into the familiar face. She felt a sob of joy welling up into her throat. Rhett Heiskanen had always been a nice looking boy with thick dark hair and silvery blue eyes but he was shy and his family were prone to being heavy set. The funny thing about people ignorant enough to bully others is to assume they’re physically weak. Since the age of seven Rhett had taken up the drums upon receiving a drum kit for his birthday. He practiced diligently, building his stamina. Kenna’s father Gabriel suggested Rhett take up some strenuous outdoor work. If that didn’t help get him in shape then he would be strong enough to just throw around his bullies. But now, even in his mid thirties Rhett looked better than ever before. He looked happy too and it warmed Kenna’s heart. 

Suddenly Rhett placed a hand behind Kenna’s knees and the other on her back lifting her bridal style. “You look the same!” he declared.

Kenna laughed at the treatment. “Maybe! Plus a few scars, minus some teeth.”

Rhett frowned “Why, what happened?”

“It’s a long story-”

“The long ass story of the Unplanned Variable. A story I’d like to hear from the woman herself.” Said a voice from the corner. Rhett gently set Kenna down on her feet.

“Chris.” She said in a mix of wonder, surprise and decades old memories.

The man lounged easily on the chair looking as though he belonged and not at all just recently thawed from a forgotten colony ship. He still had the same angular features, that coy smirk, and curls falling over his dark eyes. “Looks like it’s the start of a reunion tour.”

Kenna’s smile dimmed “Well we’re without instruments and we’re missing someone.”

An awkward silence fell. Kenna remembered why she was there. “I’m afraid we don’t have time to catch up just now. Chris, can I talk to you in private?”

Pulling himself off the sofa Chris said “Sure.”

They both looked to Rhett realizing he was out of the loop. 

“Sorry man, it’s a hush hush thing.” Chris said, tying up his long hair. Curly hair in a bun made Kenna smile, thinking of Parvati. “Official Board business.”

If Rhett were disappointed he did not show it. “I understand. I’m gonna head to the betting room.”  
He waved goodbye and left.

“Don’t blow all your bits.” Chris shook his head then gestured to the double doors. Kenna followed. “This is nicer than even the fancy hotels on Earth, huh? We can talk in my room, Clarke said it’s secure.” Swiping a keycard the door opened and both stepped inside.

“Chris.” Kenna began. “I need you to tell me whatever you can remember about the person who attacked you. Every little detail helps.”

Placing a palm on the wall beside her Chris said “Rhett was right when he said you look the same.” Turning her chin he brushed a finger along the scar on her right cheek, sighing as though it were a scratch on the paint job of a luxury car.

Pushing herself away from the wall Kenna walked a few steps. She knew what he was doing. “Listen, it’s important. “ She knew what he was going to do and wished in vain for something to throw at him to cool him off.

When Chris tried to close the space between them Kenna was a few feet away in a blink. He stopped. “How’d you do that?”

“That’s the whole reason I came to see you. The Tactical Time Delay. Can you do it?”

He was behind her, catching her around the waist. Guess there was her answer.

“Let go or hand to the void I will put you through this coffee table.” Kenna jerked her head to the table in question, a glass and metal table. She meant what she said. But Chris, ever the audacious prick pressed his lips to her neck. He knew that was pretty much her instant turn on button. “S-stop.” She countered feebly but his fingers played along her waistband. 

Memories of their encounters flooded her. Chris was the best lover, probably because he had so much practice. With Kenna, and with other women. And practice with other women while had been with Kenna was why they were no longer together. 

He knew her body well and in a blur her jacket and shirt was off, bra pushed up suckling at her throat then nipple. “Gotta make sure everything works.” He said between kisses.

Somehow they were on the couch and he was kissing her bare thigh. There was a sound of tearing fabric and Kenna didn’t even notice her ruined panties being tossed somewhere. All she was aware of was him. His tongue. On her clit. He lazily pushed the pink bud around, giving her lower lips long slow licks, parting the folds probing his rigid tongue inside-

“Kenna?” Chris was saying. He waved a hand in front of her face. “Hello?” 

She blinked “Oh. What is it?”

“I asked you a question.”

“Oh sorry, I zoned out.”

Hands on his hips, Chris tipped his head up and down in exasperation. “I asked you, did the corp guards see how your attacker escaped?”

“Uh yeah, “ Kenna said, remembering. “It was like he vanished.”

Chris shook his head. “People don’t just vanish.”

“Well maybe it was some crazy corporate spy.” Kenna snapped her fingers. “The corps spy on each other all the time to get dirt on execs, steal formulas and the like.” She left out the part where she used to make a good deal of bits doing the latter.

“Well, “Chris began “I probably wasn’t much help. I saw so much of nothing. But hey you find this asshole you give him a good punch for me.”

Chuckling, Kenna nodded. They were both quiet 

“It was good seeing you, Ken.” Chris said quietly. “Listen, I know I was an ass to you and I don’t have a right to ask for your forgiveness but....” He took her hand “Now that I’m starting over with a clean slate I was hoping we could be friends. Just friends. It’s not just a stealthy way to get you alone while you’re vulnerable and pork you, I swear.”

The pleading in his eyes was earnest. Mend burned bridges starting with me, eh? He must have read it all over her face for he dropped her hand. “If not I understand. You’ve moved on in life, haven’t you.”

Kenna considered a moment. “Well...alright. Besides, I’m seeing someone.”

“Really?” Chris said and Kenna knew this interest was phoned in. Or seemed that way to her. It was difficult to tell. “What’s he like, do you live together?”

“No,” She shook her head “That is no, we don’t live together.” Kenna hesitated. It wasn’t really his business but how much to tell. “He’s one of the scientists that helped revive the colonists. We worked together a bit and…” she blushed “we just kind of hit it off.”

“Lucky bastard.” Chris scoffed. “Invite me to the wedding.”

"They don't really do weddings here. Don't really do romance either."

Chris rubbed his chin. "This place needs an enema. And I think I know just what to do about it." 

Reaching under the couch Chris produced a long black case. Kenna leaned forward with growing interest as Chris laid the case on the couch, flipping up one metal catch then the other, expanding on the reveal of the item.

"Lita!" Kenna exclaimed and reached like a child receiving a gift. Though it was her own property, something she had not laid eyes on in seventy years.

Lita was an electric guitar. A beautiful instrument composed of a white body with black trim, mother of pearl inlaid neck. It was a gift to herself to give her tired old Strat a rest and to give herself more stage presence. Eagerly Kenna pulled it toward her and sat down giving the old strings a loving strum.

Chris watched her, smiling. “Too bad you don’t have an amp to plug it into.” 

“I might rig one up. Somebody wrote the jingles in the colony, surely they have audio engineering.” Kenna hugged the instrument. “Thank you. I thought you’d pawned it.”

He looked surprised, even a little hurt. “Pawn it, nah. I would never. Besides it was worth too much to pawn.”

Kenna fixed him with a glare. 

“That is um, well it’s yours so have it back. “ Then Chris folded his arms, distending his cheek with a probing tongue. Kenna twisted the tuning pegs, mouth set firmly as she concentrated on her task. His look was not missed. She knew that look and what it meant.

“What are you plotting?” She asked, amused.

“I think I know exactly how to shake up this colony."


	6. Chapter 6

His damaged ship wasn’t beyond hope but it required parts and repairs that were beyond Phineas’ skill. To that end Kenna was glad to lend the aid of the two best engineers she knew. Phineas couldn’t be sure if bit carts had exchanged hands or if anything had been offered as payment and if so Kenna was paying for it out of her own pocket.  
She’d ostensibly paid off some of his other debts to friends but chose to ignore her bemoaning that men of all ages, from all walks of life were ‘so fucking cheap’. She foamed at the mouth when he told her how much he owed Gladys Culkelly. 

Phineas worried about her Adreno use sometimes, especially after that discussion about debts Kenna climbed about the ceiling like a demon possessed spider screaming nonsensical threats for the better part of an hour. It took Phineas, Byrne and Richards to get her down, plus candy and a laser pointer. The laser pointer often came in handy for a distraction if the others weren’t around. Vicar Max at least could wrangle the wild Kenna if it came to it, even if he got bitten. 

The two of them bickered like siblings and during one particular row it was Dr. Byrne who suggested an experiment of the ‘get along shirt’, an oversized tossball jersey large enough to corral Kenna and Max until they settled down. The bickering continued until Felix, who came for a visit between trips from Terra 2 and Groundbreaker was dumb enough to laugh at the pair. Their mutual humiliation realized, Kenna and Max called a truce and joined forces, utilizing the shirt as a net and caught Felix, then taped him to a wall. He was stuck there for hours. 

These shenanigans often threw a spanner in the well oiled machine that was Phineas’ day. But he came to expect the unexpected and hid his amusement. One day he heard surprised shouting only to find Kenna and Felix had deliberately been spraying one another with shaken up fizzy drinks. Both of them froze as Phineas made known his presence, registered what happened and the resulting mess, expecting to be reprimanded. He demanded to know what they were doing, looking from one to another expectantly but before he let them even open their mouths to answer Phineas quickly drew the sprayer from the sink and doused them both. 

Kenna’s other associates Phineas seldom had use for. Well, he hadn’t yet. In the months following his rescue and exoneration Phineas developed a fondness for his beloved’s close friends and treated them as deferentially as though they were her blood kin. Parvati was enlisted to repair his ship, as an exercise to show what she’d learned but Kenna joked privately that it was to impress Junlei, the chief of the Groundbreaker. 

Ever the consummate professional Parvati did her work, took a break for lunch, worked some more and spent the rest of her time messaging Junlei on the Unreliable until Kenna shuttled her back home. For the more difficult parts they would make video calls and sometimes instead of work they’d talk about their day. Phineas couldn’t help but smile at them.

Then once,the Unreliable returned from an errand that would ostensibly only take the time for Parvati to complete the day’s work, two passengers left the ship. One was its captain in her caiffenoid overloaded bounce, the other was Junlei in her austere placidity.

Kenna cupped her hands to her mouth. “Vati! Come here a second.”

There was a great clamor of tools and Parvati came with many a stutter and apology. “Sorry had to reassemble the-” then she saw Junlei. 

Junlei smiled. Parvati’s eyes were enormous “Captain!” She said excitedly looking from Kenna to Junlei. 

Kenna examined her fingernails. “You need a hand, I managed to snag Jun for a few hours, it’s a win win. Maybe she’ll stay for dinner? The four of us?”

Glancing up toward the lab Junlei asked “Is the doctor here?”

“Yeah he’s inside working on something too.” Kenna shook her head. “Useless to try to talk to him when he’s deep in it.” She smiled helplessly. “Thanks again for helping us- helping Phineas, er, helping Parvati help Phineas. I know you’re busy running Groundbreaker and all.”

“Like you said I could use a break. I regret I can’t spend much time with Parvati but that will change soon once some of our newer engineers get a few more hours logged.” To Parvati she said “Now you said you were having trouble with the power cycler…”

The two headed toward the opposite dock and Kenna struggled to understand the technobabble, straining, but she gave up before she burst a blood vessel.

Dinner wasn’t fancy but they certainly should have a fancy dinner sometime, perhaps at Kenna’s Byzantine estate. Junlei as it turned out had never been to Byzantium but now showed a little interest in it, especially when Phineas hinted at all the places she could wine and dine. 

Kenna, beacon of charisma she was, reigned over the conversation. Her easy banter with Parvati, the bickering and joking only made Junlei shake her head and smile at Phineas, as though conveying to him silent amusement and a mutual understanding that their better halves were each something very special. 

“Many of the new engineers have a good deal to say about you, Dr. Welles.” Junlei said as she took the cup of coffee from Kenna.

“Please call me Phineas.” He said then added with a little smirk. “Favorable things, I hope.”

“Only if you call me Junlei.” The little gesture of familiarity made Kenna and Parvati exchange smiles. “They speak favorably of you. Highly, even.”

“Yeah let’s keep it casual. Among friends.” Kenna settled on the couch beside Phineas.

“There’s so many of them now,” Parvati noted. “Jun was worried they didn’t know a hook from a handsaw but they’re showing us stuff we wouldn't have thought of.”

“Well they are from an older generation.” Junlei conceded. “I worried mostly they’d forgotten, or they weren’t being truthful about their skillset. Looking to just be palmed off.”

“I’d heard of the Tennysons here and there back in the long ago days.” Phineas put in. “They better be pulling their weight, I know Groundbreaker is important to you. “

“Even so, “ Junlei set down her mug “I won’t turn away extra pairs of hands that care to learn, and more importantly can keep up.”

“The future of the Groundbreaker is in safe hands then. But Junlei, don’t forget to take time for yourself.”

Kenna nudged him. “Says the workaholic. I have to practically beg him to go out.”

“You just want to show me off to your high society friends.” Phineas said in mock exasperation. “Always dragging me to dance.”

“Weren’t dancing banned in the colony?” Parvati asked.

“It was.” He clarified.

“I always wondered if it was because of you.” 

Phineas thought for a moment. “Perhaps. I never thought about it. Likely for the smallfolk only but I expect there are corporate approved dance for Byzantines.“

“I wish I could learn how.”

“Well, I could teach you.” Folding his arms Phineas brought up one hand to rest his chin in his palm.

Parvati shook her head. “Oh, no. I can already tell I got two left feet.”

“Nonsense. It’s not all fancy you just start with the basics. You work your way up to the fancy stuff, it just takes practice.”

“I’ve already seen you do amazing things, Parvati. I’m sure you’re graceful.” Junlei said.

Phineas turned a smile to Junlei “Then you can be her partner.”

Junlei’s face was geranium. “I-I couldn’t. I’ve never-”

Standing, Phineas said “You should do things together besides get covered in grease.”

“Hey now I like grease.” Parvati muttered.

Phineas made an exaggerated bow to Kenna. “May I have this dance?” 

Of course Kenna took his offered hand and once on her feet hugged Phineas’ waist enough to make him grunt, face pressed to his torso. 

“It’s fun!” Kenna chirped. “Also an excuse to get close and huggy.”

“Only if your partner allows it. But we don’t want any smashed toes so stick to the basics for now Alright, now both of you stand up. Who wants to lead?”

“I will.” Junlei patted her knees and rose.

Yay!” Parvati started up too and they both studied Phineas and Kenna for proper placement. 

“Show them the basics, darling.” Phineas instructed. “Junlei, I lead so watch me, Kenna follows so Parvati watches her.”

“Okay!” Lifting her left foot Kenna said “So for the box step, it’s ¾ time. What does that mean? It goes one two three, one two three, that’s the rhythm. Now,” and here starting with her feet together she stepped back, right, forward, left. “Try!”

Looking down at her feet Parvati stepped, then realized her feet weren’t close enough and tried again. “One, two three.”

Kenna nodded “You’re getting it. One two three, start slow, toes first. Smooth. Like that!”

She grinned at Phineas demonstrating the lead steps for Junlei. “As I said, the basics. This is the box step, it’s the foundation of all ballroom dances." He said.

Taking Kenna’s right hand in his left Phineas said “Now try with a partner.”

As the two women got closer Kenna admonished ‘make room for the Architect!’ and Phineas corrected them citing “She’s not wrong, don’t want to step on each other’s feet. Stand just so. There. Hand on her shoulder blade, that’s right. To guide her since you’re lead. Yes. No don’t twine fingers. Yes. Perfect.”

Taking up his position with Kenna again, Phineas said “Alright then Junlei watch me, Parvati watch Kenna. ”

Phineas guided Kenna, the two stepping perfectly in sync. Kenna’s grin was a mile wide, doe eyed as always when in awe of her genius. Parvati couldn’t help but laugh at her captain so besotted. 

Junlei muttered to her quietly “They are cute together. It’s almost sickening. Like a mouthful of sugar.” 

But there was a smile in her voice and Junlei while not the mushy type would certainly take up this dance if it pleased her wildflower. There was something charming about the infamous Phineas Welles dancing with a woman and both of them so obviously infatuated. Junlei wasn’t one to judge, the age different might have raised more than a few eyebrows- also the fact that they worked together. It didn’t seem exploitative on either end. Indeed, it was based on any relationship- respect and trust. 

She blanched when Phineas said “Now you two have a go.”

Parvati was all smiles as she took her position. Junlei swallowed. _Hold her right hand in your left, right hand on her shoulder blade, position staggered and lead to the right. I can do this._ Then Junlei took her first tentative step. Parvati followed, then another step. They both looked to Phineas for approval. 

“Good, but go smooth. You’re dancing not walking. Better! Excellent!” The scientist was beaming at them, then let go of Kenna's hand to make a circling gesture to signal for them to continue. 

Both women beamed under his praise then at one another. Kenna took Phineas’ face in her hands brushing her nose against his. Smiling at her he suggested “Put some music on.”

Nodding, Kenna dashed off and a sweet waltz reached their ears. Phineas walked them through turns and moving across the floor. There was a bit of shoe scuffing but they laughed it off and Phineas even taught the pair of women a basic twirl. 

“Just practice when you have the chance.” He suggested. “Then you can get-” and here he spun Kenna around for her to drape gracefully across his waiting arm that earned Phineas giggles and applause. “Fancy.”

“Get good and you should come with us to a Byzantium reception.” Kenna said.

Phineas eased her back to her starting position. “Maybe you should have your own reception, darling.”

“That’s a great idea!” Kenna twirled Parvati round and around then dipping her toward the floor sending the other woman laughing, clutching at hairpins and flying curls. “Vati, you and Jun have to come!”

The rest of the evening was full of laughter, and Phineas enjoyed this intimate gathering more than he ever did the ballrooms full of people.


	7. Chapter 7

“No, no, no. Again. Tighter. I know it’s been seventy years but keep up.”

Rolling his eyes at Chris, Rhett counted off again and began to play. But there was no guitar. Chris waved his hand to get Rhett to stop and when he did Kenna slung the guitar strap off her shoulder, setting the instrument on its stand as soon as the last cymbal was muted. Fixing Chris with a stare she turned and left.

“It’s not right.” She said when he finally caught up to her.

“We’ve been over this, I’m sure people dead for three hundred years won’t mind.”

Kenna halted and met Chris’ eyes. “In three hundred years what if no one remembers us?”

“That’s the nature of things, people forget.”

“It’s wrong to take credit for the music even if the original writers died centuries ago!”

He shrugged negligently “Come on man, when did you suddenly sprout a conscience? I remember you doing the old five finger discount, pickin’ locks but you suddenly worry about stealing?”

Pouring herself a glass of Plain n Pure Water Kenna downed the glass before answering. “I was a stupid kid then, Chris. People change.”

He scoffed “Yeah maybe they get insufferably self righteous.”

Kenna slammed her glass on the counter but said nothing.

Chris cuffed her shoulder. “Hey man, I’m just gridin’ your gears. Come back to practice. Gonna make Rhett upset.”

Pressing her palms together Kenna took a deep breath letting it out slowly. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“It’s a great idea,” Chris said, ushering her back to practice. “Worse case scenario? We get shut down but people will remember. It’ll be like old times. You’ll see.”

-

Byzantium night life was as exciting as any big city on Earth. The laughter coming from inside Billingsley’s House of Inebriation, the ad drones, the complaining guards. No one had noticed the crates hauled outside or the cables running roughshod all down to the maintenance floor.

"Remember flash mobs?" Chris had said. "This will be better. We’ll knock these richies off their feet."

Kenna was still unsure, even on standby she was having second thoughts. But as soon as Rhett counted off and began to play she leapt into the song. Lita felt good in her hands. Chris could handle vocals and bass and so he did. Even without a sound check, even with this pathetic rig they still sounded as good as their worst performance. There was only one screech of feedback and they fell behind a step but it wasn’t like anyone would notice.

People stopped in their tracks to watch but only started to listen when Chris began to sing in his excellent baritone.

-

“Excellency, there’s a disturbance by the House of Inebriation.” Said the armed guard. “Someone is...singing. Loudly.”

“I noticed.” grumbled Minister Clarke. They could feel, rather than hear the bass beneath their feet. Turning to the video screen, sorting through a few menus he found the camera feeds in front of the high end bar. His mouth fell open. “Frost?” 

-

“What in Law’s name-” Chairman Rockwell observed the water in his glass rippling, the windows rattling. He heard indistinct shouting outside his office when he was reasonably sure he asked for quiet. “What is making that noise?” snapping his fingers at some intern he ordered “Go check the security cameras.”

The staff were already viewing the live feed. Immediately Rockwell tried to maneuver in front of the screens “Don’t look at this! Do NOT listen to this! This dissident behavior! This is not real music!” only to be shoved aside. 

“Oh don’t be such a stick in the mud, Charles.” said Minister Clarke, watching the screens. He was flanked by armed guards, both of which were bobbing their helmeted heads in time with the music. They stopped when the chairman glared at them, but resumed when he looked away. 

“They should all be arrested- get down there right now and arrest them!”

“On what grounds?” Clarke’s eyebrows came together. 

“Whipping my people into a frenzy, that’s what!” Rockwell pointed at the crowd, easily having doubled in size. He counted at least thirty people and more coming, sighed relief as the UDL guards began to gather.  
The scrawny brat from Groundbreaker, Phillip or whatever his name was- Felix! That was it. Felix was fending off the guards shoving them harmlessly off the staircase. On the other side Rockwell saw the other staircase defended by that vicar, Max was his name. Where Felix was gangly and quick, using the guards’ slow movement against them Max was latent power, waiting for someone stupid enough to get close to him and knocking them over like a house of cards.

And the camera cut to her, that dissident witch, Frost. Rockwell recalled vividly her threatening him, pressing the cold barrel of her pistol into the hollow of his cheek, declaring he wasn’t worth a bullet. Blackmailing him into truly serving Halcyon. He’d never been so terrified -or aroused- in his life. 

By now a sea of people had gathered and Rockwell snorted at Clarke’s idiotic grin. He folded his arms tightly watching as the guards kept swarming the two men on either side of their chokepoints. More and more guards came shooing out the crowd. At this, as though speaking to both the crowd on camera and the HHC staff in his midst he shouted “All of you get back to work. NOW!” They promptly scattered like sprats when the lights came on.

Rockwell adjusted his tie, smugly watching as the chaos unfolded. The music cut out mid bar, the five -Frost and her four accomplices- were wrangled and dragged off.


	8. Chapter 8

Kenna looked up to see the barred cell door slide open. 

“You’ve made bail.” the guard told her and stood aside. “You and your friends are free to go.”

Rising, Kenna blinked, wondering who her savior might be. How lucky. Thankfully everything in Byzantium was a bureaucratic nightmare. Nobody seemed to know what to charge her for. Dissident behavior, yes, but Minister Clarke backed her and she was Chairman Rockwell's scary confidant? 

Phineas stood there, arms crossed. “You’re lucky I had the news on today or I would have never found you or your knucklehead friends.”

He had a sharp remark ready for all five but his fury choked all utterance. Kenna opened her mouth to speak, probably some cute comment about the idiocy she’d committed this time but upon seeing his face she promptly shut it. Turning on his heel Phineas left. Kenna went after him, Felix and Max lingering nearby. Both of them had some unsavory glances for Kenna’s colonist friends. Max’s face was an unreadable mask but Felix’s was set in martial lines. Max said something quietly to the younger man that Phineas did not catch which made Felix look away but not relax an inch.

“Babe, I’m sorry.” Kenna said, hands clasped together.

Rhett blinked. “Babe?” He gestured vaguely between the two. Kenna said ‘uhh’ but nothing else. 

“You’re her-” Chris ventured.

“Boyfriend.” Phineas answered. 

Curling in his lips Chris tried to contain himself but his laughter broke anyway. “This is your- he’s older than your dad! What the fuck?”

Felix stormed past him deliberately crashing into his shoulder. Max offered a half apologetic shrug as he passed. 

“Chris, shut the fuck up!” Kenna shouted, her face coloring with indignation. Rhett frowned at Chris’s laughter which withered as Phineas stood over them.

“No, darling, it’s alright.” Phineas told her but to Chris he said “ Oh I've heard all about you Mr. Lane- a regular rake. Nothing better to do than break curfew and hearts, well I might be OLD but I know enough about your type that you do not know who you are or what you want." He took a step closer. "So you can sit there and make your jokes if it makes you feel better to watch me steal your girl.”

Phineas then executed a perfect about face and left.

“Phineas!” Kenna called to him. The old man could move when he was pissed off or the bootlickers were after him. She had to break into a jog. “Phineas! Damn it, how many times are you going to make a dramatic exit?”

He rounded on Kenna fixing her with a glare that made her halt. Only he didn’t say anything. Turning from her, he walked away slowly this time.

-

The walk back to Kenna’s estate was silent. This house and what it meant set Phineas’ blood to boiling again. Rockwell put her up here as a gesture of good faith- it was a tiny piddling mansion compared to the decadent halls where he lived, tucked away on an unfashionable street but it was still prime real estate. 

He had a dim feeling Rockwell treated Kenna like a kept woman. That rat bastard had five marriages under his belt or so the gossip ran. Kenna had met the third of these wives at some cocktail lounge who had intimated that Rockwell was big in the ego and small in the trousers. Rockwell always tried to act smooth around Kenna but she would have none of him. 

Phineas avoided him on principle because he was still of the opinion that the chairman deserved a bullet in the eye and out the back of his skull. And the way he sniffed around Kenna who was too polite to tell him to fuck off or threaten him with her prismatic hammer. Rockwell was the best weapon Kenna had in her arsenal. She had him by the proverbial short hairs so why then did he risk getting on her bad side? But Phineas didn't want to think about that, because he didn't want to think that he and Rockwell were on the same page. They weren't in the same book. Law, they weren't even in the same library. 

Sitting down on the couch he brooded a while. Emerging from a shower Kenna paced the den in her pajamas, wet hair stringy about her shoulders. 

“Did you have to do that in front of my friends?” She snapped.

“Did I have to-” Phineas sat up straighter. “Did I have to bail you and your friends out? Do you know it was a thousand bits a piece? Five thousand bits for the lot of you. And I know you will not ask for it back nor will any of them offer recompense.” 

Kenna waved her arm dismissively “Felix is a box hauler, Max is a vicar they’re not exactly swimming in bits.”

“Nor are the other two.” Phineas laced his fingers together “So what was supposed to come of that little stunt you pulled?”

She held her hands out to him as though the answer were obvious “Weren’t we good? Doesn’t Halcyon need music? Art? And not corporate trash and jingles?”

“Kenna, right now the colony needs its hands to work not to play. Did you ever stop to think about the way this reflects upon you? Upon me?”

“Uh, as leaders of the revolution-”

Phineas shut his eyes tightly “NO, law damn it! “ Opening his eyes again he went on. “Those are merely ideas, Kenna. I expect you to know better. What we did was not out of foolish rebelliousness. We face a crisis.”

“I know that!” Kenna halted in her pacing to whip around to face him. “I just wanted to- “She sighed “I just wanted to make people happy. They seem so miserable all the time.”

He softened somewhat at this. “The psychological conditioning they’ve been ingrained with was probably kicked into overdrive, they had no idea what they were hearing. Dissident behavior. ”

“You’re saying I scared them. They looked like they were having fun. “ She scoffed “You’ve never done anything dumb in your life? Come on, Phin, don’t be a fuckin’ square.”

“Well forgive me for being OLD and too tired to withstand that cacophony.”

“I will have you know that that ‘cacophony’ as you so delicately put it was the solo work of twenty first century artist Chris Cornell and if you knew anything about ART you’d know he was a GOD. “

“What are you babbling about? Stop talking nonsense, would you?”

“I’m not babbling! You know what? Fine. I’m going to bed. If you’re done being a jerk.”

“A jerk? I’m a jerk because I bailed you out of jail.”

Her hands were on her hips now. “No you’re a jerk because you demean my interests!”

“If I demean your interests it is because you perform them in PUBLIC in a city still reeling from a shift in the status quo. We need things to be more stable, not chaotic! Remember, my darling, that not long ago you would have been gunned down in the street for such a thing.” 

“So killing all those people was better-” Kenna went on, and even when arguing her features twisted Phineas thought absently how beautiful she was. Men often stopped in the street to stare at her. 

“There are always casualties in a war-”

“A war!” Kenna threw up her hands with indignation.

He watched her, crossing an ankle over a knee. “Little late to grow a conscience about it, isn’t it?”

“Where’d yours go, huh?”

“If I grew one your corpse would be in the aether..”

“I don’t know who’s really frozen, me or you.”

Phineas wiped both hands down his face. “Oh my law, Kenna, you are like a child. Wanting to play and not do any work.”

“I work my ass off! I lied for you, KILLED for you! I paid for my life with blood and pain. Is that not good enough? “

“I’ll note EXTREME PENCHANT FOR THE DRAMATIC on your file!”

Kenna balled her fists. She wished she had a better comeback, a real crusher but all she got out was “Fuck you!”  
She knew he wouldn’t reiterate his argument either- Phineas was not a fan of repeating himself. The conversation was over as far as he was concerned. 

She stormed off and he knew she’d engaged the bedroom door lock. Well. That was inevitable. Their first argument. Phineas knew he’d better make himself comfortable on the couch in this case.

-

While a generic 'fuck you' didn’t exactly cut to the core of Phineas, it still hurt him. What hurt more still was his entire body sleeping on that thrice damned couch. He should have gotten up to rest his decrepit bones in the guest bedroom but he was up so late brooding and going over the conversation he must have dozed off. And now he was paying dearly for it.

What he realized was the real reason for the abrupt dismissal. The mention of a file. He’d made Kenna feel like she was just an experiment again. And he had yanked her into a new existence, here, go into certain death and fetch this for me. She’d come out on top but at what cost? Well no reason to fret about it now. What was done was done.

They all had blood on their hands.

How could he say ‘I did this to the woman I love’ in hindsight. He had not loved her then. A fondness, certainly. But romance was a thing of fiction, a distraction. The only fulfillment you required in life was a hard day’s work, not the love of another person. Phineas wanted to rail against the Board in every way. Reclaim part of the human spirit. 

Kenna strolled past him in some blinding white pajamas and billowing robe he’d never seen before. Normally her face was turned to him, radiant, a greeting and a kiss for him in the mornings but she cut a sharp look at him and said “You’re still here.” in a voice that still trembled with rage. Damn it and she looked so GOOD in that set too. The fabric outlined her body in such an enticing way. 

The skin around her eyes was puffy too. So she’d been crying. 

Good job, asshole.

Well it was true! He argued with his conscience. She had no idea what she was doing. 

She only saved you from Tartarus, you old fool. 

Phineas could hear Kenna slamming about in the kitchen, making coffee or tea or breakfast or whatever with small violence. By now his conscience smote him. He should be in there right now kissing the hem of her robe begging forgiveness. 

Perhaps he should make a quick exit but everything hurt. He remembered the state Kenna was in that night he found her after the intruder had thrown her at the wall. At last he managed to sit up. The silence dragged on and Phineas wanted to go into the kitchen and tell Kenna he was sorry.

He sat there for maybe half an hour, hands on his knees when he saw the white sleeves of her robe go around him, her hands emerging as she hugged his neck pressing her cheek to his. 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered.

Phineas relaxed and held her clasping hands. “I’m sorry, too.”


	9. Chapter 9

Never one for spontaneity -or for morning bedroom activities- Phineas muttered to Kenna as she kissed apologetically and tugged him toward her; she'd have to take it herself if she wanted it that badly. She was apparently totally okay with that. Maybe he could play the ‘my everything hurts, but go for it’ card a few times and fib just a bit. Just a bit until she cottoned on.

In this way he learned the term ‘make up sex’ and as she was the offending party it stood to reason she take initiative. Now that she was closer those pajamas left little to the imagination. Phineas still liked to do the deed mostly clothed and Kenna liked the urgency of it plus not having to hunt for clothes afterwards. She barely got her pants off before she attacked him in full.

By his count he and Kenna had intercourse on every surface in her house save the floor. She wanted him to bend her over his work table but somehow they never found the time. They’d done it on the couch plenty of times, it was comfortable for him and pleasurable for her so it was a win win. All Phineas had to do was sit there as she swirled her hips, riding him, eyes moving from her chest to her face and back. He closed his eyes the moment she took him inside her. Opening his eyes again Phineas stared. That damn shirt. He pushed it up exposing her breasts.

Kenna had only been riding him a few minutes the communication unit on the wall chirped. And again. Kenna stopped, pulling her shirt back down.

“Captain,” Came ADA’s voice. “I have an urgent message from Chairman Rockwell.”

Kenna covered her mouth with her sleeve. “It is urgent.”

“This is urgent!” Phineas countered, patting her thighs. Really he didn’t want to hear Rockwell’s stupid voice. He’d do anything to keep from doing that plus he was enjoying himself. “Tell Rockwell to wait seven or eight minutes!”

“Belay that, ADA.” Kenna ordered.

“Too late, I already wrote him back.” 

“ADA!” Kenna slapped her own forehead and wriggling out of Phineas’ lap stood stepping back into her pants. “Rain check!” She told him and kissing his forehead went to the terminal just as the screen showed its loading sequence.

Annoyance and arousal clashed in Phineas’ mind. He put himself away and slouched. The terminal was behind the couch.

Rockwell’s face was chalk white when the connection was established. 

“Good morning, Chairman.” Kenna said. Behind her Phineas mouthed her greeting sourly.

“Do you have the slightest idea what you have done?” Rockwell demanded.

“What did I do now?” 

“Don’t play coy, you know very well what you did!”

“I entertained a few dozen people, what of it?” she shrugged, twirling a lock of her hair.

“No, you taught my citizens that weird bullet dodging trick you do.” Rockwell huffed. He then gave her a strange look. Kenna smoothed her hair. Must still have that freshly fucked look. 

Kenna furrowed her brow. “That’s impossible, I can’t teach a brain anomaly.”

“Well somehow they know how to do it!”

“Could it be a drug?”

“I don’t know! My people are on it. Perhaps it's linked to when you were attacked the other night.”

Kenna yawned and smacked her lips. “Hm, I’m gonna talk to Minister Clarke first.”

Rockwell shook his head. “He likely won’t see you. He’s still swooning from that catastrophe the other day. Took to his bed with a hot toddy and comic books.”

Kenna giggled at the idea of the minister laying down because of his delicate constitution. Maybe he wasn’t ready for the glory of twenty first century alternative music.

“Don’t laugh, it isn’t funny.” Rockwell reprimanded. “Clarke is in a state and it’s your fault, you know. Law if I could get my hands around your neck I’d choke you senseless.”

“Hmm. Kinky!” Kenna gave him a coy smile.

Rockwell’s face screwed up and he tipped his head because he thought he heard someone else laughing. Welles, probably. He growled. 

“Look, I’m sorry, alright?” Kenna sighed. 

“Tell Clarke you’re sorry!”

“I will! I will. I just thought-”

“No, you didn’t think! I’m losing my- WE are losing hold on people, we need things to be organized around here!”

Kenna rubbed her neck and yawned again. "Don’t worry, the good doctor already read me the riot act about it, you don’t have to do it again.” 

Rockwell blinked. So he and Welles saw eye to eye on something. He hadn’t expected that at all.

“Chairman," Kenna said tiredly "I know you know all the new products people are shopping around the corporations. Has there been anything unusual lately?”

He scoffed. “I don’t have time to look at every wannabe entrepreneur’s crayon scribble.”

“No, of course you don’t. But you’ve got reps from all of the companies to talk to, shake some answers out of them! I know for a fact they all spy on each other. “

Rockwell winced “About that. All they are talking about is your...performance.”

Kenna beamed. “Really? Truly?”

Phineas groaned on the couch. “Oh Law.”

Tilting her head Kenna asked “What’s the matter, honey?”

“Nothing, sugar plum.” Came Welles’ voice.

Beaming and sidling, Kenna said “I love you, muffin!”

“I love you too, angel cake.”

Rockwell interrupted “If you are quite finished…”

“You’re my honey bear!” Kenna cooed, fingers laced together she turned fondly toward the couch where Rockwell presumed Welles was.

“Sunshine.” Welles called back.

“Silver fox!”

“Princess.”

“I love you.”

“I love you more.”

“I love you most!”

Rockwell had enough. “Do you want me to vomit?”

“Sorry, Charlie.” Kenna replied in a singsong voice, waving a hand back and forth. “I’ll be in touch.”

The chairman did look as though he was about to lose his lunch. He made one final noise of disgust, then the feed went blank. Kenna curled in her lips, mischief in her blue eyes as she turned back to Phineas, and finally exploded with laughter. Leaping back over the couch she grinned.

Turning her freshened lovely face toward him Phineas said “Now where were we?” but before they could close the distance between them someone called “Morning, boss!” 

Phineas halted. Kenna bit her lip to hold back a laugh. “Good morning, Felix.” he said in a monotone.

“Mornin’, Fee Fee!” Kenna leapt up. “Sleep okay? “ She peered around his shoulder. “Max up?”

“Yeah he’s up.” Felix’s answer was also a yawn. “He’s sayin’ his prayers or whatever but he’ll be down when he’s finished.”

“I’m gonna go get dressed. Fee, start up the breakfast sequence on Geezer?” 

The young man nodded with another yawn. Geezer the Butler was Kenna’s newest toy, an automechanical that cooked and served food for when she was too lazy to even operate a macrowave.

“Everybody liked my music! If I get my stuff out of lockup maybe someday we can play a stadium!” Kenna called as she raced down the hall, getting louder the further she went. “Whoo! LIVING THE DREAM!”


	10. Chapter 10

“Parvati.”

Someone called her name. Stirring from the bed she shared with Junlei, Parvati realized she was still holding the allen wrench she’d been fiddling with as she read. It helped her concentrate but not well enough to keep her from dozing off. The well worn copy of The Steel Wrench and You lay open on the bed. Embarrassingly there was a little wet spot on the page. Parvati drew a hand across her cheek. 

It took her a moment to get her bearings. She was on Groundbreaker. With Junlei. She could see her every day now and not just in her capacity as chief of the vessel. Parvati alone was witness to Junlei’s smiles, real smiles and laughter too. They both indulged in the overly frothy and sweet romance serials, sitting together holding hands or cuddling on the couch. Often Jun got called away for business. She was often gone long after Parvati went to bed and Parvati would awaken to find Junlei pacing the floor fretting over one thing or another.

She did her best to be supportive but Parvati was a mediocre engineer of a backwater town. Junlei wouldn’t hear her talk so badly about herself but it was true. She’d learned a lot since those seemingly long ago days in Edgewater though at least. All from her Junlei.

It wasn’t all rose ish and rainbows though. Sometimes Junlei got quiet and if Parvati asked what was wrong Jun boiled over like a kettle. She even shouted but not at Parvati, she made that perfectly clear. She was stressed out. They never got a chance to practice dancing anymore.

“What time is it?” Parvati asked, her voice still heavy with sleep.

“It’s a little past 1 am.” Junlei answered.

“What happened?” 

Junlei huffed. Parvati winced. “Sorry.”

“No.” Junlei said kneeling and taking the other woman’s hand. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t snap at you like that, wildflower. “ Leaning over she kissed Parvati on the forehead. “It’s just-” Her gaze dropped.

Parvati felt her stomach knot up. Junlei sat down heavily on the floor, back pressed to the bed unit holding her head in her hands. Sitting up, Parvati threw off the covers, swinging her feet to the floor. “Jun.” 

Junlei sat, heels of her palms pressed to her eyes for a long while. Finally she took a deep breath and said “Someone was murdered.”

A gasp escaped Parvati before she could stop it. 

“Please, it’s between us.”

Parvati swallowed and nodded moving to the floor to put her arms around Jun. She was shaking now. “The Mardets found him. They thought it was an accident but Sanita didn’t want to rule out foul play just yet. There were...marks on the back of his head. I saw him myself.”

“You don’t have to...look at the bodies, Jun.” 

The chief wiped a hand down her face. “I do. He was a colonist, one of the new hands. He was under my- under Groundbreaker’s protection. If I can’t protect my own engineers, who will want to come here?”

Parvati’s chest felt squeezed as though a primal clutched her in its powerful hands. “A colonist was killed? I heard tell of them gettin’ attacked but killed?” She hadn’t realized she’d said it aloud until she felt Jun’s eyes on her.  
Suddenly Parvati was on her feet. Junlei stared up at her. “Where are you going?”

“I gotta send a message to someone. Maybe he can help us.”

“Whom?”

“Fella I met travellin’ with Captain Frost. Hiram, his name is.”

Junlei nodded dumbly. She could trust in her wildflower. Undone, Parvati’s hair fell to her waist in a wild tumble of waves and curls. Her back was to Junlei who stared at her with admiration and something like curiosity. 

“Hiram’s a paranoid sort so he’ll probably jump on my message soon as he gets it.” Parvati said over her shoulder. “Ain’t much he can even do yet though so we might as well get some sleep.”

The trials of the day weighed on Junlei. Yawning and stretching she changed into her pajamas, and joining Parvati in the bed they fell asleep, tangled in one another’s arms. 

-

The sound of the liquid being poured onto the dirt reminded Nyoka of pissing. That sound, that slow trickle. Wrinkling her nose she threw away the empty bottle she’d poured out for the dead woman she found. Zero Gee for the dead.

So Hiram was right. Dead people were found with weird marks on their heads. Surgical almost. She’d been surprised when the Broker, as he tried unsuccessfully to get people to call him, contacted her after so long. He even dropped the name of Parvati, the nice engineer girl who traveled on the Unreliable with its intrepid captain, Kenna Frost, agent of the rebel scientist and wanted criminal Phineas Welles. Had it been two years ago now? Looked like Welles hadn't given up his contact network even now that he was a free man. It didn't hurt to have eyes and ears all over the colony, Nyoka supposed. 

Somebody had been found on Groundbreaker like this and Chief Tennyson was getting her overalls in a twist. It couldn’t be the Board or any other corporate assassination. Though this didn’t make sense. Normally everything in Halcyon could be sorted neatly. Corps making corpses was just a fact of life.

Nyoka sat down on a metal crate, puzzling. She wished she had that Zero Gee to drink instead of pouring it on the ground to honor the dead. Someone from Stellar Bay would come pick up the body for an autopsy then lay the poor woman to rest.

Sober or not Nyoka’s instinct was strong. This was not where the woman was killed. This was a tableau. The killer, or agent of the killer meant for her to be found this way, positioned. 

She stood and looked over the scene again, eyes on the horizon to either keep scavengers away or signal the MSI guards come to collect the body. Something crunched underfoot. Nyoka swore at her clumsiness for not having thrown the bottle far enough and tainting the crime scene. 

Only it wasn’t a broken bottle. It was a vial. Empty. Furrowing her brow Nyoka snatched up the vial, turning it in her hands. On it was a serial number. 

Casting one last look at the dead woman, then the half dried mud that still had beer foam on it, Nyoka said aloud “Maybe we’re not just pissing in the wind after all.”


	11. Chapter 11

"I don't know.” Hiram said tightly, glass of Spectrum Vodka in his hand. The lights of his control room always set him at ease but now they reminded him of alarms or fire or some kind of harbinger of doom. 

"That's a first."Nyoka slurred. "The Information Broker is clueless." She was leaning on the console. Again. Hiram reached over and pinched her. Nyoka moved away from him but she still peered at him teasingly from beneath her red dreadlocks. 

Hiram snorted. He'd take that, just this once. Sipping his vodka, the fingers of his free hand flew over the keyboard. "This sequence, the serial number doesn't match anything by any corporation currently owned by HHC."

She watched the vial turn in Hiram’s fingers "So you're saying it's a new product. A prototype of some kind."

"Precisely. Except who is funding them? Normally a corporation's fingerprints are all over a prototype. " Polishing off his glass Hiram coughed. He preferred wine but he couldn't shake his tension. Not knowing everything about what was going on in Monarch didn't set well with him. Made him nervous. 

Nyoka graciously refilled his glass as he held it out then took a swig herself straight from the bottle. "Could be freelance. Contraband. " she recalled Phineas tinkered with weapons from time to time. "Roseway, that old Auntie Cleo town on Terra 2 had a few eggheads making products off the books." 

"I know,"Hiram snapped. He knew everything. Well, a lot. "Give me that." Not caring about germs he took the bottle from Nyoka even as she said 'hey!' in protest, taking a long pull.

Shifting her weight to one leg, rolling the tip of her boot back and forth Nyoka observed him, brows raised to her hairline "You're drinking a lot more than your usual."

"You're one to talk." Hiram choked.

"You know why I drank. Why are you so upset?" 

Hiram shook the last drops of Spectrum Red onto his tongue. "It is my job to provide information. My information did not help Kenna. I'm useless. I have no purpose now."

"Okay first of all have some water. Second, you're being dramatic. Third, we have this prototype to go off now."

"Without a way to discover what company owns it or who owns it it's useless to us."

“Just need to cast a wider net-”

They both stopped as the new message notification pipped. Moving the glasses and trash off his terminal Hiram lowered his brow. “Now who could this be. Holcomb. Holcomb, why does that ring a bell.” searching the keys he pressed enter to pull up the message.

“Holcomb!” Nyoka hovered over his shoulder annoyingly. “Not the tossball player. Parvati!”

“Parvati? I’ve never heard of-”

Nyoka slapped the back of Hiram’s head. “She was Captain Frost’s engineer, hullhead. What did she say?”

Rubbing the spot that would no doubt have a lump Hiram grumbled under his breath. Trying very hard to ignore Nyoka’s existence he began to read. Slowly, Hiram’s lips parted until his mouth hung open like a trap door.

“What?” Nyoka pressed. Normally Hiram had a masterful poker face even when the tower was invaded by marauders. 

Hiram began typing a message to Phineas. “Another victim like the one you found was discovered on Groundbreaker.”

“Shit.”

_

“We’re still going through samples. “ Dr Mfuru said. It was difficult to maintain his professional air as Kenna hovered about Dr. Welles like a puff of smoke.

Phineas nudged Kenna away from the monitor with both hands. She yelped. He stared at her a second or two in silent admonishment then turned back to Mfuru. “Can you send them to me?”

“I can get them for you.” Kenna volunteered. “I also want to ask Junlei a few things.”

“People attacked, people dying. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Oh pumpkin!” Kenna chided gently pecking his cheek. “It’s a quick trip to Groundbreaker though you are sweet to worry.” Now she was standing with the tip of her nose touching Phineas’ cheek. He could feel rather than see her smile, the puffs of air. 

Fortunately -for Phineas, unfortunately for Max- the vicar entered the media room. Kenna was off like a shot to run smack into the man in her unique way of hugging him. What Max referred to as ‘spontaneous violent love’. It was more like a tackle. 

Max still grunted though he’d had much worse back in his tossball heyday. Then again he wasn’t getting younger. “Apologies, I didn’t know you were on a call.”

Kenna as always was energetic. She beamed at him. “Phin is on a call, I’m just bugging him.” 

Briefly Max made eye contact with Dr. Welles and the older man tilted his head toward the door. Handling Kenna almost felt like he was co-parenting. But they were her only family. 

What felt like a lifetime ago Max had some argument with Kenna when she was his captain. Now he couldn't even recall how it started but Kenna had made some point involving the phrase 'I've been frozen seventy years' and that was when it truly sunk in. 

They both stopped. Neither of them seemed to know what to do. Max had seen the cryo suit and that must have been when it sunk in too for him how displaced she was. That moment when she cried. Max had never seen Kenna cry. Not Kenna, Captain of the Unreliable. She made people cry. Broke hearts and femurs. He'd only ever seen her reckless courage. But she fell apart before Max's own eyes that time.

Best they were alone in the quiet of the kitchen that night. She'd covered her mouth to stifle the sound of her sobbing. Max had stood there like an idiot. He wasn't good with crying. No one in Edgewater cried at least not that he'd seen. Their tears were all dried up, or bottled up.

Even as the Vicar he was blind to their suffering. He knew that now. Back when he was a pompous prick he repeated the corporate approved platitudes, only cared about his journey not his flock. If he’d been a wiser man then he would have wiped those tears away. If he could go back in time he’d punch himself for his inaction, telling his past self how much Kenna would teach him about himself, to cherish and protect her. 

Kenna turned away when she realized he was still there. The humiliation she must have felt. Somehow, Max couldn't remember how but she ended up in his arms, head and curled hands against his chest the way a small child might be held. 

It was an awkward ten minutes they agreed to never speak of again. 

"He's been so paranoid." Kenna was saying as she and the vicar wandered the halls with no particular destination in mind. 

“You do seem to be a magnet for trouble.” Max observed glancing idly at the gilded walls. He caught sight of his reflection in a mirror and smoothed his hair.

“I’m already available to make a delivery, anyone on Groundbreaker will still have to sign forms and drag ass.”

“Suppose Felix and I accompany you. Dr. Welles might be more agreeable in that instance. Though I do not relish doing any more time in jail. I’ve had my fill of being behind bars.”

Kenna frowned. “You’re not mad that you ended up in jail, are you?”

Max gave her the faintest smile. “It was inevitable. Things are never dull with you, Captain.”

Kenna bit her thumb walking in silence as they arrived in the den where Felix was poking about some tossball memorabilia locked in a glass case. Hastily he turned around.

“Hey boss. Vic.” 

“Hey Felix, feel like guarding my body some more? I could use some extra muscle again.” Kenna stood at shoulder level with Max. She smiled up at him in that ‘just like old times, eh?’ way.

Felix hesitated. He didn’t really want to go back to Groundbreaker. Byzantium stunk like the idle rich and was everything he learned to despise but privacy and a comfortable bed were luxuries unknown to stowaways. But it was his boss talking and she never disappointed. She even got him landed in jail then bailed out. 

“Sure thing, boss. What’s the job?”

“Real quick pick up. Samples of a mysterious project for the mad scientist.” Kenna said, wiggling her fingers to add to the mystique.

Max rolled his eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

Purpleberry fizzy tea just tastes better when it is ice cold and you were slouched on a sofa watching Terror on Monarch for the twenty seventh time. Or was it twenty eighth.  
Felix swished the beverage in his mouth as Halcyon Helen sprinted down the corridor then the badly edited cut of her obviously male stunt double being hit with falling debris. He stifled a belch.

There was comfort in watching things he’d seen before. He knew what would happen. Saving Halcyon was nothing like the serials though. Nothing happened like he’d envisioned it. Felix hoped people would celebrate, lift him and Kenna on their shoulders and cheer. 

But maybe there was something in what Doc Welles had said. Change comes slowly. People have been broken down and broken things take time to fix. 

“Some of them might even be afraid,” the scientist had told him. “They don’t know what happens next. Most of them are already struggling to feed their families and what if changes make that more difficult?”

There was no winning with Doc Welles. He had a calm reply ready for each of Felix’s hotly worded questions all the while never losing his composure. Doc Welles seemed amused by him. Nobody took Felix seriously and quite frankly that irritated him.

Why was he always regulated to the role of little brother? Even Vicar Max, the uptight preacher man couldn’t be baited as easily anymore. On top of these insults Felix went right back to hauling boxes. Granted now he was actually paid well and still worked for Captain Frost there was no excitement in life anymore.

He knew for a fact Kenna missed the days of their big adventure even if he recalled her complaining all the time about waiting, travelling on foot, being dirty, hungry or sweaty and oh Law what is that smell.

“This is your captain speaking, we are green for departure.” Kenna announced.

Felix sat up straight. “Already?”

“Captain!” Max called after her. “I must protest, didn’t the man just say-”

The Unreliable rumbled to life and Felix grinned. He had his tossball stick, his grenade launcher and his dropkick ready.

“Too late now!” Kenna said cheerfully as the airlocks sealed. 

The vicar gave a resigned sigh. 

“ADA, take us out!”

Yes. Life was never dull with Captain Frost.

-

“An act of childish rebellion.” Vicar Max sighed as though such a thing were new to him. He glanced back to Dr. Welles’ face in the video screen, screwed up with indignation. “Regardless we have the samples and will have them in your capable hands very soon.”

Felix glanced at him, tossing and catching a tossball only half listening. Dr. Welles said nothing, only cut the screen to black. “Something wrong?” Felix asked.

Max shook his head. “Nothing that is our business.”

“I’m starving. Where’s Kenna?”

Max halted. Where was Kenna? She should have been back on the ship by now. “Seems she was delayed. Should we go look for her?”

Felix thought for a moment. “I’ll check the Back Bays, you check the Promenade.”

“Good idea.”

Both men exited the Unreliable and set out to comb the Groundbreaker. Vicar Max stood out like a sore thumb even in the neon lights. It wasn’t like Kenna to just wander off without telling anyone where she was going. It was stranger still Felix didn’t think of where to find her. Passing the booths, the stevedores taking their smoke breaks, some off to the corner putting their heads together to gossip Max saw the old bounty droid that hovered near the HHC embassy.

The ghostly image of Phineas Welles still glowed in its holographic screens. It must have been there so long it got burned into the display. Now it displayed some Rizzo’s ad over the elderly man’s face. Clearly whoever reprogrammed it didn’t know how to do it correctly. Odd that there were no new bounties posted. Just as well. The dissident mindset had changed. A little but it was gradual. Max recalled the Byzantium gig, as Kenna was calling it, the surprise performance.

The more he thought about it the more troubling it was. Off duty Mardets laughed and discussed tossball scores munching handfuls of popped tobaccorn at Auntie’s Kitchen. He would have liked to join them but he should find his captain. 

Max knew Kenna could command an entire room by her charm alone. He’d been shocked when he learned about the home invasion but Kenna did not seem too concerned. That was just like her too, to throw caution to the wind and be seen in public. He did not approve of that spectacle even if it was rather catchy and he hummed the tune after, they were lucky they were only jailed. Even after an earful from Dr. Welles, the scientist thanked Max for protecting Kenna from her own idiocy. 

Vicar Max often found himself the bulwark between Kenna and disaster. He was fine with being in that position, he owed her that much. Her more personal matters were not something he liked to be forced to delve into, such as the conversation with Dr. Welles a short while ago. Relationship advice was not in Vicar Max’s wheelhouse. 

He swallowed hard thinking of the time she’d wished to confess something to him, something she didn’t know how to handle. She had a friend who liked someone a good deal, knew she had strong feelings for someone but they were quite different, the friend and the mystery man.

The man was highly intelligent and older than Kenna’s hypothetical friend, and did Max believe two very different people could make it together?

Max had blushed to his ears and dropped all pretense, telling Kenna he was very fond of her but in a brotherly sort of way.

She laughed, said “Presumptuous much?” and laughed more. Max laughed too, eventually. “But in all seriousness, I mean, I do love you, Max. Not in the ‘let’s draw up a contract’ way but in the ‘I can’t function without you’ kind of way."

Thank the Architect for that. 

Then in true Kenna fashion she punched his shoulder and said haltingly that it was Phineas. The old scientist that she’d developed feelings for and wasn’t sure what to do with them. 

Max twiddled his thumbs. This was not a question for a vicar but for a friend. Matters of the heart were not part of his training. Still, he’d counsel her as best as he could. There was the practical side of things. 

Maybe Dr. Welles did not return her feelings, but she was certain he did, only held reservations because of their age difference. That age difference did cast a long shadow. But so did the fact that the scientist had been buried in his work and wouldn’t be an ideal partner, set in his ways while Kenna was still navigating the twists and turns of life.

“This is really something you should speak to Dr. Welles about.” Max concluded. “And don’t be impulsive and stupid.”

She was impulsive and stupid.

It was inevitable. Like, the sunrise or gravity or something.

And somehow it worked in the end. Max was happy for them, truly. Of course, he would be there for Kenna no matter what. 

Max made two full circuits of the Promenade, asked around but did not find Kenna. Maybe Felix had better luck. 

He found the kid peeking around the corner at Kenna speaking to someone. The Heiskanen man, her old friend. It had been Heiskanen and that other fool that got them all in danger. It wasn’t until it was far too late that Max realized their dissident behavior. It could have only been Minister Clarke’s intervention that saved them. So why then would Kenna even deign to speak to Heiskanen or Lane again? Felix must have read the suspicion on Max’s face for he said exactly what Max was thinking out loud. 

“What’s he doin’ here?” Felix hissed.

“I don’t know.” Max said quietly, eyes narrowing. _But I don’t like it._


	13. Chapter 13

Yawning, Minister Clarke closed his datapad and stood. It felt good stretching his tired legs. Maybe he’d go to bed early tonight but before that, he’d read a few pages of Dissident Hunter with a glass of Rum and Somethin’ first.

At last, his favorite chair, his favorite drink and his favorite comic. Aloysius laughed to himself. Ironic a dissident, by the Board’s amorphous definition had set the colony on the right course. The Board would have driven Halcyon to destruction if left unchecked- until she came along.

Charles was such a worrier, they’d quarreled the night after the surprise concert and he’d spun some cock and bull story about that Aloysius was beside himself. Far from it, and he’d been annoyed Charles had tried to guilt Kenna into feeling bad. Charles was just mad Aloysius wasn’t actually upset. He enjoyed himself. He must get Kenna and her friends to play again, somewhere private maybe. There were plenty of clubs in Byzantium who would love to see them, this time with full approval.

“Dissident Hunter, that’s a good one.” Said a voice.

Aloysius froze. “Oh it’s you.” 

The woman stepped out of the shadows, quite dramatically. The minister seemed to like this bit of theater for he sat up straighter.

“Yeah. Sorry to meet you like this but I have information on our mutual friend. Golden Eagle.”

He waved her down “Wait, wait, I’m confused. I thought you were Golden Eagle.”

Carmen Imagawa sighed “I told her swapping code names was confusing. No, Kenna is Golden Eagle, I’m Pigeon. I relay messages like pigeons did during a war on Earth, she’s got golden hair and is beautiful but dangerous. “ She shrugged. “Her words. Anyway it’s nice to actually finally meet you, minister. But I trust you to keep this hush hush. No names. Just the bird codenames.”

“Yes, of course.” Aloysius said slowly. So this was Phineas’ contact. Kenna had told him about her but asked to keep it secret. They decided Carmen would be useful to communicate in secret, she was trustworthy and discreet. Too bad she was completely nuts.  
“I had to call in a few favors but I’ve been digging up info on the home attacks on my own ever since Golden Eagle was attacked. Phoenix was having me look into it and between me, him and the Broker we’ve turned up nothing.”

Aloysius was nonplussed. All the different names were confusing him momentarily but then he put it together, muttering under his breath ‘Golden Eagle is Kenna, Phoenix is Phineas Welles...I don’t know who the Broker is, why doesn’t he have a bird name?’ He cleared his throat “I assume you didn’t just break into my house to give me bad news, then.”

Carmen shook her head. “There’s a common thread with these attacks. They get beaten, then they’re found with needle marks on them. The vials the Broker and the Mardets on Groundbreaker found contained spinal fluid. Somebody’s trying to drug these victims. To what end, we don’t know. But they all have one major thing in common with Golden Eagle- they all use Tactical Time Delay.”

The minister looked confused so Carmen went on “You know it as skip flu. It’s from hibernation sickness, the human brain processing time differently. If I threw something at you you’d probably dodge it but people with Tactical Time Dilation or TTD would see it coming a mile away. It’s what makes Golden Eagle so dangerous.”

Contemplating his glass of Rum and Somethin’ Aloysius was silent for a time. “And she gave them more of a fight than they anticipated, so they incapacitated her and retreated.”

Carmen nodded. “That’s the long and short of it.”

Clarke closed his eyes. These people, his people, were dying. Even after all his efforts to stop such vile business practices someone had no respect for human life. “Ms. Imagawa- Pigeon. I want you to continue your investigation. You’ll be officially working with the UDL agents-”

“I prefer to work alone.” She said, but a slow smile spread across her face. “ But I don’t mind comparing notes.”

-  
“No.” Chris said.

“No?” Kenna and Rhett echoed.

He’d just turned down thousands of bits as casually as one might a roll or a refill on coffee. Chris, whose every chief concern in their old days was monetary, turning down a sponsorship from Rizzo.

The Rizzo representative sank in his chair. He looked like a little boy wearing his father’s suit for career day. His mouth was so dry he poured himself some water, drinking the entire glass in several long gulps. Finally he laced his fingers on the desk.

“Mr. Lane you misunderstand me. It’s a fine offer the CEO is making. The Musgraves themselves are interested in your music.”

Chris entertained himself with a picture frame on the man’s desk. “And do what, sing about candy? No way.” Lowering his brow he smirked at the pretty woman in the frame, standing with this licorice whip of a man, strawberry blonde in a frilly pink dress, reminding Chris of cake. Delicious cake. “She is way too hot for you.” 

Gasping, the Rizzo rep snatched the frame back. “That’s my sister, you hooligan!”

The intercom buzzed and a woman’s nasally voice announced “Mr. Atkins, your three o clock is here.”

Atkins sighed.“ Listen, I have another appointment, just- just think it over. By law.” He frantically waved them out.

The three rose and he wasn’t sure but Rhett swore he heard the rep say something like ‘Musgrave is going to strangle me with my tie!’

“Chris, are you sure you thawed correctly?” Rhett asked as they made their way out of the office and into the streets of Byzantium. 

“Small fish, old friend.” Chris replied absently.

“You just threw out a twenty thousand bit gig!” Kenna exclaimed. “I thought you wanted to get big time, and there was the opportunity but you said ‘nah, thanks’.”

Thrusting his hands in his pockets Chris turned to his bandmates. However he pointed his eyes at Kenna when he asked “Ken, do I look like a corporate shill to you?”

“No, you look like a dickwagon who hates money.”

Pressing a hand to his chest Chris gasped theatrically. “Oh! You wound me. “ Then he laid hands on her shoulders. “Listen, babe. I got this under control. This is our big chance. Huge chance and if the corps are gonna fight over us we’re gonna come out of it smellin’ like rose ish, dig?”

Kenna averted her eyes. “Yeah I dig.”

They all stopped to look up at the sign on the building. 

“Hey, didn’t you say you once got a part in a movie?”

-

“This is Halcyon news, your one and only news source in the colony. The latest craze and form of entertainment of Byzantium’s elite now comes to your aetherwave. “

The footage was cut crudely from the CCTV footage ‘borrowed’ from the UDL security office but the principle was the same.

“But Mr. Johnston,” Rhett began. “How is showing this to the entire colony going to help us?”

“Please, call me Mav, none of that formal business.” Maverick clapped his hands together. “Your friend talks bold, your Miss Frost-”

“Captain.” Kenna corrected without looking up from her Spectrum Violet.

“Right, Captain Frost acts bold, what about you? “ Circling the desk Maverick scrutinized Rhett as though deciding on whether or not he was going to attack him. 

“Playing music in a colony where freedom of expression is punishable by death is pretty bold.” Rhett said slowly, glancing between the others. Kenna was always bored during contract negotiation and Chris looked sleepy. 

“Exactly!” Maverick said so loudly Chris was suddenly wide awake. 

Chris yawned “We’re gonna need better production quality for this.”

“Too right, my friend. Eventually you’re going to need more room to play. You’ll be the hottest thing in Halcyon. Besides Halcyon that is. The sun I mean. The sun, it’s named Halcyon. The colony is named after the star. Star, sun, same thing.”

Rhett leaned behind Chris and saw Kenna was grinning. She caught his eye and he couldn’t help grinning back. 

-

It was the old days reborn. Not the slow plodding pace of hard work but an explosion, a supernova of fame and all the gilt and privilege that came with it. Kenna and her two old friends were an instant hit, ignoring the fact that their music was not only covers but the latest craze of Byzantium and none of them could guess when their flame burned out.

Kenna already had powerful friends in the upper echelons but soon her face was all over the city upon billboards and flickering on ad droids.  
“Come by Billingsley’s House of Inebriation this Saturday as Odeon Pictures proudly presents- Icespell! Tickets eighteen bits. Odeon Pictures not responsible for ringing ears or permanent hearing loss.”

Rooms full of people, the finest food stacked high, screaming fans, escaping through back ways, so much alcohol. Women started to dress like her in bright red jackets, green shades and half a dozen earrings. The less flattering attention came too, the stalkers asking for hair or pictures of her feet. Gifts from the companies, better sound equipment, more bits than they knew what to do with. Chris kept his promise to be a friend to Kenna and along with Rhett they spent their days sleeping, rehearsing and the nights living life out loud. Nothing could bring them down from this high. 

But sometimes, Kenna hoped she’d see Phineas in the wings, likely with his fingers in his ears wishing her break a leg, no that’s what one says to a theater performer, go get ‘em or whatever one says to a musician, do your best. Or after he’d be waiting with water, her jacket, and a congratulatory kiss then the two would slip out a back door to have a midnight snack -of the mundane or sexual variety, hopefully both- and sleeping til noon.

But Phineas wasn’t young. He wouldn’t do those things. He didn’t approve of any of this. Well. He could stay home and miss out on the fun. 

The nights blurred one into another as the weeks slipped by.


	14. Chapter 14

“Your bit cartridge was declined. Insufficient funds.” The mechanical, Greasy, proprietor of Auntie’s Kitchen said for the third time. The other workers waiting for their meals were frowning at the kid as he fumbled for a bit cart that had something on it. So far he’d only come up with two bits. 

Felix ran his fingers through his hair. He only needed to hold out until payday but his bits were sorely lacking now that the boss was doing her own thing. She had mechanicals to help her out now. 

“I’ve got it.” Came a familiar voice and Felix found himself staring at a neck, then the chin, a faint smile then the warm eyes of Chief Tennyson.

“Nah, it’s alright.” Felix said automatically through his stomach rumbled in protest. He really wanted that boarst pocket, too.

“You can owe me.” Junlei said as she handed the bit cart to the mechanical. Greasy completed the transaction then handed over the boarst pocket, which Junlei handed to Felix.

Felix didn’t even wait for it to cool before cramming half of it in his face. Junlei’s eyes crinkled at the corners as though she were smiling inwardly at him. Swallowing painfully Felix remembered his manners “Thanks!”

“It’s almost strange to see you here, Mr. Millstone. I’d think you’d be off with the Unreliable.” Junlei said.

“Yeah, I’m taking-” He paused to stifle a belch. “I’m taking a break. So have you watched Icespell at all?”

“Hm?” Junlei said absently stirring sugar into her coffee. It was only her fourth one. Or fifth. Parvati fussed about her coffee consumption. She wasn’t jittery, she was totally in control, thank you. “Oh. I haven’t. Parvati watches them sometimes on pay per view. “ She smiled to herself a bit, thinking about her wildflower grinning at her friend on the aetherwave, bobbing and clapping along to the music. “You should join her sometimes, she gets lonely when I’m busy.”

“Does she really want to hang out?” Felix asked excitedly, then deepened his voice. “That is, I’m sure she has fond memories of my expert combat skills.”

“She certainly does.” Junlei said absently but it was apparently the right thing to say. Felix did not catch the deflection but instead launched into a story about that time on Gorgon when he had taken down a crazed marauder who had snuck up on Captain Frost when her back was turned. Junlei hoped he’d be happy with a proper room on Groundbreaker but he still had the wanderlust of youth.

“And just when the marauder raised his hammer, ready to bring it down on the boss’s head, WHAM!” Felix said so loudly it made Junlei start. A few people turned to stare but Felix didn’t notice. “I took him out with my tossball blocker. She stood there not knowing how close to death she’d come had I not been there.” He finished proudly.

Stirring her coffee Junlei was nonplussed. “She was lucky you were there.”

“Yeah she was!” Then Felix looked crestfallen, only for a moment. 

This was not lost on Junlei, however. “You must miss her.”

“I..” Felix started “Well, I-” he sighed deeply. “Yeah. I miss all of ‘em to tell the truth. Even Vicar Max and Ellie. We weren’t best friends or anything but it beat being lonesome. Now Ellie’s got her own ship last I heard, Max is at Edgewater again, Parvati is busy here, Nyoka’s busy tearing up Monarch and I-”

He stopped but Junlei thought ‘but you have nothing’. “Please visit anytime. I insist.”

Felix gave her a tiny nod then launched into another story about their adventures on Gorgon.

-

The sky was dark, with swollen underbelly of rain clouds hanging low over Edgewater. The air had that sweet fresh smell and people scattered to be indoors for when the deluge would start. Vicar Max liked rainy days like most smarmy intellectuals but truth be told he liked them because it meant he could have a day off. Well, someone might come in out of the rain to seek his counsel knowing they’d get to find him alone and usurp his precious time. 

Such as a certain spaceship captain. 

The door to the mission flew open and thankfully Max’s heart didn’t also take flight out of his chest.

“Heya Vicky!”

Max covered his face with his palm. “Please, will you observe some decorum, Ms. Frost?”

Kenna took down her ponytail and shook out her wet hair. “Right, sorry.”

Max rounded the corner just as Kenna pulled the door closed. 

“It’s pouring!” She announced. “I ran all the way here and I’m soaked through.”

Sure enough she squished when she walked, amused as a child might be at the noise as she turned and sat down on the nearest pew. Droplets of water were still on her face and on her eyelashes, her golden hair burnished and stringy. 

Max listened for a time for the drip drip pat pat but it fell in sheets. No gentle rain was this, no soothing rhythm but a power wash. He frowned for he had no towel to offer her.

“To what do I owe the sudden pleasure, Kenna?” He asked but when he said ‘pleasure’ the word had a bite to it. She’d left mud puddles all over the entryway and was now pulling off a boot to pour out the water, wiggling her toes in their wet socks. Great, now the church would smell like boot feet. 

“Big news, had to tell you in person!” She froze when caught in his disapproving gaze. To Max’s confusion Kenna dipped her head and meekly said “I’ll clean it up, I’m sorry.”

Confusion and even deeper worry.

Kenna was spirited, joyful. Rebellious. Kenna did as Kenna pleased and anyone who spoiled her fun could just go to the void.

Something must have happened.

“Kenna,” Max began. “What is wrong?”

“I’m tired.” she said with profound weariness. Not just of the body but the mind. “But I don’t want to let people down. And-” Kenna sniffed “I’m too chicken to face Phineas after-after” she sobbed. “I can’t face him after just leaving without a word. He was already so mad about Byzantium.”

“You left without telling him!?” Max’s voice rose above even the downpour outside bouncing off the ceiling, the word ‘him’ echoing, diving down to accuse her. “All this time you’ve just been off playing?”

Kenna stared up at him with pleading eyes. Max immediately raised a hand to forestall her words. “No, I will not talk to him for you. You are quite capable of cleaning up your own mess.”  
He then wagged a finger at the mud “Such as this.”

She blinked at him. “Do you have a mop?”

“I do not.”

Kenna pulled off her wet socks and on her hands and knees used them to try to clean the floor. “Even if I try it will just make it worse.” She gestured to the water trickling everywhere as though it were a metaphor. 

Max stood over her, hands clasped behind his back. He remembered having to clean floors in much the same way in prison with guards standing over him. Sometimes they liked to poke you with their stun batons to make you go faster. He wished he had a stun baton now. “Even though, as you well know, relationships are not my area of expertise, I would advise as any other friend to speak to Dr. Welles yourself. The outcomes are simple- one, he forgives you and your bond is that much stronger. The other, he realizes you are a stupid, vapid, lying, immature girl and your flights of fancy are too much for a man his age.” 

Snatching up her boots Kenna pulled the door open. But Max could move as quickly as a man half his age in the right circumstances. The weather made his knee ache but he ignored it. He pushed the door closed leaving his palm pressed to it to keep her from trying again.  
“I’ve never known you to be a coward, Kenna. What are you running from?”

“I’m not running!” She shouted at him. “Move!” 

Max obliged, and Kenna threw the door open with a bang to make her exit barefoot, clutching her boots in one hand. He stared after her, the puddles reflecting the bright hues of the neon signs, spilled watercolors. She stepped carefully avoiding broken glass and loose stones.

Then he remembered something. Big news she wanted to tell him in person? The conversation had derailed. Then he saw it. A rain spotted slip of paper. No, not paper. A ticket. Max rescued it from the ground as the ink began to run. 

“Auntie Cleo’s Sportatorium presents, Icespell.” He read to himself. That was what she’d come to tell him and invite him. They were big time, now. The sportatorium could seat over a hundred thousand people, not to mention the views from a live aetherwave feed. He’d always wanted to see a tossball game there but he never had the time or the money, or a ride. There would be a tossball game, too. 

He looked out into the rain swept evening but Kenna was gone, disappeared into the silvery sheets.


	15. Chapter 15

Any second. Any second now.

Any second that door would fly open and she’d walk in.

Yes, any second. 

No?

Phineas turned back to the terminal. The Hope was in good shape, all things considered. He still worried it would glitch and he’d lose all his progress. Though in the following months many colonists were reanimated, Phineas still worried about them. Some reported illness, understandable when one’s immune system is not accustomed to its new environment. The flu was enough to kill people in Edgewater. Not to worry, the brightest doctors ever to traverse the stars were here.

Except many of the sick were doctors and as everyone knows, doctors are the worst patients.

Dr. Richards muttered this old adage to himself as he managed to wrangle the older man into a physical. Normally this would be against policy but no corporation dictated them and Welles trusted him enough to do it. For his seemingly cold demeanor, Richards cared about his patients especially in light of what happened to the Hope. 

It probably didn’t hurt that he was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. He was most certainly a gentleman but he did like to tease and not quite flirt with Kenna. Liam teased Phineas too in that male camaraderie way but he was never, ever crude. 

“A few deficiencies here and there but not as bad as some of the people in Edgewater.” Dr. Richards concluded. “You say you still suffer insomnia?”

Phineas huffed. Dr. Richards looked down his nose at the seated man. “There is no shame in taking care of yourself, Phineas. And you know there is no substitute for a good night’s sleep. I could prescribe you-”

“I’m not taking anything, thank you.” 

“As for your PTSD-”

Phineas rose. “If you’ll excuse me, Dr. Richards, I have a lot of work to do.”

“Dr. Welles, if I may-”

He was already halfway out the door. “You may not.”

“A note on a more personal matter. She’ll come back, you know.”

The former outlaw scientist huffed and made his exit without a backward glance.

“Dr. Welles!” Dr. Byrne said excitedly, her red curls awry. “Kenna’s on the aetherwave. The sportatorium, place is packed!” She paused and bit her lip. “Don’t you wanna watch?” 

Over Phineas’ head, Dr. Richards shook his head at her. While his expression didn’t change the muscles on Phineas’ jaw stood out briefly. He brushed past Byrne without a word. She shrugged at Richards. “He can’t help it.” and as though she was telling her colleague a secret, cupped a hand to her mouth and whispered. “He’s an Aries.”

At Richards’ disapproving glance Byrne threw up her hands. “What?”

Turning to a long row of filing cabinets he pulled open and closed a few before he found what he was looking for. “Constellations don’t have anything to do with someone’s mood. You believe in that stuff too much, especially for a doctor, Alice.”

She waved him off. “It’s just a bit of fun, Liam.” Then she sighed. “She hasn’t written to him in weeks. Word ‘round the lab is...it’s over. That she’s back with that-that Lane hullhead.”

Without even turning around Liam allowed himself a chuckle still sorting through the files. “You’ve been listening to too much idle gossip. Do you really think they’d let each other go so easily after all they’ve been through?”

At this, Alice drew her glasses farther down her nose, russet eyes twinkling. “Why Liam, I had no idea you possessed such a romantic soul.”

“They’re going to get back together. Mark my words.” He smiled down at her. “So speaking of office gossip I hear you bet against the Backers.”

Alice folded her arms defiantly. “I did. Stafford, Riley, and a few others made bets as well. Even that vicar, what’s his name-”

“Max. DeSoto.”

“That’s it. Do you know he said the Darlings were choke artists last time I was in Edgewater? I said ‘oh them’s fightin’ words, preacher man. Care to make a bet?’”

Liam laughed heartily as they walked side by side to the staff kitchens. Alice smirked up at him. “Maybe you can watch with me and when I’m off to collect my winnings and gloat to the vicar, you and I can grab a bite.”

Stepping to one side to usher the lady in first Liam smirked. “Watch you cheer, gloat at a vicar AND have dinner with you? I’m all in.”

-

“Tonight,” Kenna slurred as she slid the keycard. “Was amazing. That crowd was wild. The tossball game, all of it. Wow. “

Geezer clanked by on the parquet floor as Kenna and Chris stepped inside. “Thanks for seeing me home. “ She gasped. “I have to write Phineas! “ Setting down her guitar case she flew to the terminal. Her brow furrowed. “None of my messages were received! “ 

Kenna’s mouth fell open. “No wonder he didn’t write back! Oh I’m an asshole! I didn’t even double check. Oh law! Oh law! I’m the worst girlfriend in the history of girlfriends!” She began typing furiously then remembered she had a guest. “Er, make yourself at home, ask Geezer if you need something.”

Chris just stood there watching her. “You really love him, don’t you?” he asked quietly.

Kenna stopped typing to look over her shoulder at him. “Yeah. I hope it doesn’t bother you considering our past…”

“No, I’m happy. I really am. I mean,” he was close to her now. “Sometimes I wish things had turned out different between us. I kick myself daily for losing you. Don’t worry this won’t affect our work. Just gotta get it out before it tears a hole in me.” his hand was on the small of her back. 

Kenna wasn’t really listening though. She was typing. She barely noticed the cold thing touching her neck. 

“Kenna, I hope you know that…” Chris paused, licking his lips. “I’ll always look out for you.”

But she was ignoring him. Well so much for heartfelt distraction. 

Chris rammed the needle into her neck and pressed the plunger in one swift movement.  
Kenna screamed in surprise and someone else gave a shout, nearly ripping his arm out of its socket as a powerful grip tore Chris away from Kenna, grabbing him by his clothes and throwing him against the wall, a forearm braced against across his neck nearly crushing his throat.

“It would be a shame to ruin your singing voice, Mr. Lane.”  
Vicar Max said with deadly calm but his eyes were ablaze in fury. So this was Kenna’s infamous vicar friend. Chris hadn’t counted on him. He was in casual clothes though. Chris heard he’d done time and wasn’t to be fucked with. Max’s eyes flicked toward Kenna and he eased up on Chris’s throat just enough for him to form words. “What did you do to her?”

Chris didn’t answer. Max slapped him across the face. “Speak before I lose my patience. Or are you stalling for time?” 

Max was obviously worried about Kenna but wasn't about to let this little sprat fuck get away. “You are the one who attacked Kenna the first time but you didn’t have the heart to use the serum on her.”

Max dug his fingers into Chris’ jaw with bruising force, as though he might tear it off. “Aren’t you?”

“You know, you’re pretty sexy when you’re angry.” Chris said with raised eyebrows and stuck the needle into the older man’s neck. Except it was empty. It only made the vicar angrier. Chris muttered ‘oh shit.’ and ducked the first punch but not the second. He had no idea his jaw could shift that far and not fly off his skull. 

Chris rubbed his already swelling jaw as blood dripped onto his hand. He must have bitten his cheek or tongue or both. “Fuck.”

Max snapped around to see Rhett lifting Kenna off the ground. “Hey!”

Rhett grinned and laid her back down. The loud crack of electricity and the vicar dropped to the floor beside Kenna. The woman nudged each of their shoulders with a boot to make certain they were out.

“I should have known you two would fuck everything up. Bring them both. The vicar knows too much. He can be leverage.”

“Isn’t this a bit much?” Rhett ventured. The stronger of the two he knew he’d be tasked with carrying the vicar. Slim as he was Max was a tall man and quite heavy as dead weight. But the black clad goons she employed entered as quietly as shadows, lifting him with ease. “Kidnapping a vicar is kind of a big deal.”

The woman waved her hand. “The vicar of a backwater town, no one will care. Besides, I could always use more test subjects. Are you losing your nerve, Heiskanen?”

Chris glanced sharply at him. Rhett rapidly shook his head.

“Good.” She said. “Soon everyone will know the name LaRocque.”

-

When Max came too he still felt his nerves jumping. It was a miracle he wasn’t dead or burned. 

“Max.” 

He blinked slowly at the voice. It slowly came to him that the voice was familiar.

“Max?”

His vision cleared at last and Kenna sat across from him, arms folded tightly across her chest and knees drawn up. The he realized the problem. She was naked. Max said ‘oh!’ and looked away, his face burning with embarrassment. Kenna chuckled uncomfortably. 

“I saw nothing.” Max reassured her, voice cracking only a little. He relaxed, dragging himself to a seated position. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“I was going to ask you the same thing. They said they brought you as leverage and for…well. She wants to make a new generation of TTD users.” Kenna rolled her eyes.

“What.” Max said flatly.

“She’s hoping we’ll…” and here she made a vulgar gesture, curling the fingers of one hand into a circle and dipped rapidly in and out of it with the index finger of the other. Her sour expression indicated that she was not thrilled at the idea.

“Oh law. NO.” Max remarked with equal disgust. Kenna was practically his sister. Daughter? It wasn’t incest but damn it, it was. The very idea of...copulation with her made him sick. “How distasteful. Count on a mad scientist to try and breed people like animals.” As he spoke he took off his vest, unbuttoning his shirt. 

Kenna turned crimson. “W-well I-I could j-just t-turn over and you pretend I’m someone else?” she squeaked. “ I’ll do what we have to do to b-buy time but let’s not make it weird?”

“N-NO!” Max returned, face flushed. “I only mean to give you this.” Taking his shirt he thrust it (heh) in her direction. “To cover yourself!” He shut his eyes.

“Okay you can look now.” The shirt swallowed Kenna to her knees. She had it buttoned to her neck, then though better of it and undid two buttons. It afforded her some modesty at least. She rolled up the sleeves. “Anyway, I take it you didn’t see or hear shit on your way here. As far as I know this place is run by some bitch named LaRocque. I heard some of the guards say it.”

His undershirt paper thin, Max put his vest back on. The cell was tiny, not really meant for two. A cell. Just what he wanted. Sitting with his back pressed to the wall, he could at least rest his knee a bit, plus his tingling sore neck where the stun baton had touched his skin. “That still leaves where we are, exactly. A station? A ship?”

“A ship is my guess. They’ll come in a couple hours for...testing. Oh Max! You came all this way to...protect me and you could have-" 

Max’s nostrils flared briefly. She placed a light hand on his arm. “Please don’t do anything rash. Let’s just bide our time.” She shivered “Fuck it’s cold in here.”

Max lifted an arm invitingly and Kenna tucked under it snuggling up to him, drawing up her knees. 

“Well what do I get to snuggle?” Max complained but still rubbed her shoulder.

“You wanted to be the adult!”

They were silent for a time. Kenna said “Hey Max?”

Inwardly Max begged her to not start up her schtick of ‘needle the vicar with a thousand dumb questions’ and grunted “Hm?”

“You were right. I was running. “ Pressing the heels of her palms to her eyes Kenna tried to halt the oncoming tears. She hated crying in front of people. “I was so starry eyed over the idea of a dream that I should have let go of long ago. And what I got was fake friends betraying me. My real friends are mad at me. Now you're stuck in this mess. And Phineas-” Kenna covered her face with both hands. “I ran from reality. I took a responsibility to restore Halcyon and now that it’s not just shooting things and fun I tried-”

She burst into tears wiping her face on the sleeves of Max's borrowed shirt. “We have to get out of here- the needles, I don’t want to- and- Phineas- “

Max pulled her into his lap and she went limp, sobbing into his shoulder. “I love him so much and I hurt him. I’m so stupid.”

“I should have punched that bastard harder.” Max muttered to himself.

Kenna sniffed, and smiled a little at him. “You’re the one who socked Chris?”

That old smirk was back. “He has a glass jaw. I apologize I did not act sooner. Which is why I am not too keen on biding time as you said.”

"I'm sorry you got caught in all this. How did you even end up here?" 

"I was on my way to visit you after the tossball game but I saw you had company. I was waiting for Mr. Lane and Mr. Heiskanen to leave. then I saw some people who were acting suspiciously near your house-something didn't seem right I was certain they were following me or you or both. of us. I suppose I was correct."

“What are we gonna do?”

Max did not have an answer to that. He sighed, letting the back of his head touch the wall behind him.


	16. Chapter 16

Dr. Alice Byrne stared at the closed door and took a deep breath. Pressing the call button she said “Dr. Welles, Dr. Richards and I are heading planetside. The supplies you asked for are outside the door.” releasing the button she dropped her gaze. Her finger lingered over the button, how she wanted to speak some words of comfort to him but it had been months since he heard from Kenna. 

At first, he thought she was merely forgetful. Then he was angry. Now he was panicking. 

“Oh Phineas,” Alice said quietly. “You’re beside yourself.” She felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Leave him be.” Liam said. 

“But it’s been nearly-”

He shook his head at her then turned to leave. “I’ll meet you at the shuttle.”

“Alright, let me get my jacket.” 

Shaking her curls loose from their bun, Alice donned her jacket and closed the locker door. On her way out the terminal blinked. 

“Is someone there?” Asked a man.

Immediately Alice was in front of the terminal. “This is the Hope. Who are you? How did you get this signal?”

“You may call me the Broker.” The weaselly little man replied with mysterious importance. 

Both of them narrowed their eyes suspiciously at one another. 

“I’m looking for Dr. Welles. Tell him it is urgent.” The Broker said.

“Dr. Welles is...indisposed at the moment.” Alice replied, glancing toward the door.

“Why, is he sick?” Asked a woman’s voice.

“Quiet, Nyoka.”

“Broker. As in information? Dr. Welles has locked himself in the lab he’s so distraught.”

“Oh.” Nyoka said sadly. “We think we found the ones who attacked Kenna and those other people in Byzantium.”

“We know they are.” 

“Shut up, Hiram.”

“The Broker, the Broker! Oh for law’s sake. “Hiram stood off to one side glaring at her. Then his eyebrows came together. “Hm, another missing person connected to the prototype serums. That doesn’t account for the vicar of Edgewater though.”

“The vicar!” Alice exclaimed. “Last time we were in Edgewater, he wasn’t. Nobody knew where he was. Nobody had seen him since the sportatorium event now that I think of it.” She paused to grumble to herself. “He owes me a hundred bits.”

Hiram let out a long breath. Alice stood watching and she could hear the keys on Hiram’s terminal clicking rapidly. “ According to a contact in Byzantium the manufacturer of the TTD serum is called LaRocque Pharmaceuticals. They operate out of a decommissioned UDL ship renamed the Merciful Fate. Ship manifests and the like connected to one Christopher Lane, an associate of Captain Frost.”

Nyoka chuckled and shook her head. “You must have bet against him. People lost their minds over that game all across the system. But what does this pharmaceutical company want with Kenna and Max?”

“They want to study the TTD closer is my guess.” Alice shrugged. “As for the vicar, they can’t let their kidnapping get out and they couldn’t buy his silence or just outright kill him.”

“They killed those people with that serum.” Nyoka growled in disgust “We should-” She and Hiram both stopped. Alice then realized she was not alone.

“Hiram, do you have the coordinates for the Merciful Fate’s current location?” Phineas asked politely. “Would you be so kind as to send them to my datapad so I can upload them to my ship?”

“You’re going after them?” Alice asked.

“A friendly discussion between two fellow scientists won’t hurt.” Phineas said absently as he watched the information upload to his datapad.

“I’m going with you.” Nyoka declared. “I’ve seen what this serum does to people. That LaRocque bitch has a lot to answer for. I’ll sweet talk Sanjar into letting me hitch a ride on one of the supply ships. If you want I’ll round up some Iconoclasts and MSI troops to-”

“That’s not necessary, Nyoka.” Phineas broke in. “We aren’t going into battle.”

LaRocque. Now why did that name ring a bell?

-

Day melted into night and without a true cycle Max could never be sure of the time. Every now and then he was given scant rations but there was nothing to do except stare at the wall until Kenna was returned. She was smart enough to leave his shirt behind and every day he’d help her back into it and put her to bed. But like a child having nightmares she'd end up snuggled up to the adult again. If only for practical reasons Max let her do it. They could at least keep each other warm. And when Max's legs fell asleep from having a grown woman in his lap he didn't feel his aching knee. It didn't come to him often but Max knew for all her pride and bravado Kenna at her core was a scared little girl. From what little Max had gleaned about her parents they were neglectful, not the type to comfort a child afraid of the dark. 

Kenna taken. Food. Sleep. Kenna returned. Sleep again. Try to get Kenna to drink some water. The staff must have blessedly forgotten about his significance for though Kenna worried if he hadn’t been performing his purpose he might be replaced. If that happened they’d come up with some way to use that as an opportunity to escape or at the very least signal for help. But it never did. The very idea still turned Max's stomach. He knew how much she loved Dr. Welles. 

They were silent in the still room. Max admitted he missed Kenna’s constant chatter. Normally she was in too much pain for anything, spending hours writhing in agony before exhaustion took her. Sometimes she’d talk in her sleep, speak to ghosts of long dead people from before the Hope journeyed across the stars.

He remembered again their conversation that had ended when she broke down in tears lamenting being alone after the ill fated voyage. How many nights was she in her cabin much like this. After a moment Max realized Kenna was staring at him, laying on her side. Neither of them said anything for a long time. 

Then Max heard it. Kenna’s one visible eye leapt toward the door.

Someone or something was scratching or otherwise making noise. And swearing in a language that was not English.

The door opened. Instantly Max was on his feet ready for combat.

“That isn’t very nice.” Rhett whispered.

“What do you want.” Max asked, his voice flat and hard.

“To leave. And take you with us. “ 

Kenna appeared out of nowhere shirt clutched closed, lips peeled back from her teeth in fury. With her free hand she slapped Rhett across the face so hard his entire head jerked. Even Max winced. Touching his sore face Rhett looked pitiful, like a child who had just been scolded. 

Kenna glared at him. “This is your fault!” 

“Maybe keep your voice down?” Rhett insisted. “By all means alert the guards. Listen. I know I screwed up but we’ve got a plan.”

The vicar and the captain exchanged glances and shrugged.

-

“On final approach to the Merciful Fate. Requesting clearance. Clearance granted.” 

Phineas slowly blinked in the dim light as his little ship approached the steel behemoth. He had admittedly a little bit of awe for the larger vessels though he’d never admit it, the magnificent works of man and what they could achieve with science and engineering. Unimaginably huge starships that could support life even in the cold of the aether.  
But the Merciful Fate, by its old purpose or its new held no such charm for him. It ceased to be awe inspiring and became something monstrous instead. Even the lines of its otherwise pleasing symmetry seemed ugly. To him, at least.

The sight of the Hope brought on some melancholy he could not adequately explain. For the souls that had died to ensure the ship made it to Halcyon, or the thousands once trapped there, the wasted time frozen, the fact that his life’s work involved that ship and its important cargo. And the most precious thing he'd found in all his life was there somewhere, her fate unknown. 

How he’d gotten clearance was beyond him. This massive ship just hanging around the lagrange point like it belonged there. This wasn’t the first time he’d boarded a ship where trespassers were violently encouraged to take their leave.

The walls of the ship were bare as he expected, only ducts and wires hung. Further in Phineas was assaulted by advertisements for LaRocque Pharmaceuticals. That name. That name tugged at the back of his mind, nagged him. Obviously the logos were slapdash, unfinished. Perhaps instead of kidnapping LaRocque should hire a new graphic design team. Phineas was only dimly aware of Nyoka hurrying to catch up to him and the footsteps of another.

“Hiram said this is an old UDL ship from back when you could get shuttled from one settlement to another.” Nyoka said quietly. “Looks to be in rough shape.”

“Should we split up?” Asked the newcomer which Phineas realized was Felix. 

“It could be a trap.” Nyoka shook her head.

“It’s always a trap.”

“Felix, why are you here.” Phineas said so coldly Nyoka stared at him. “I mean to what purpose do you serve besides your little quips and the ability to swing a tossball stick?”

Felix didn’t answer so Nyoka did for him “We came because you were just going to blunder in here. Because Kenna’s in trouble and her old man -of the spouse and curmudgeon persuasion- is being too much of a proud asshole to ask for help. So you should be saying ‘thank you’. “

She paused to draw breath but Felix was staring down one of the dark corridors. Phineas didn’t even slow down but kept walking. Nyoka hesitated, turned from one to the other. “What is it?”

“I saw someone.” Felix said quietly, pointing. “I’m going after him.” 

He was gone before Nyoka questioned further. She hurried to catch up to Phineas and found the old scientist staring up at an enormous aetherwave monitor. The figure on the screen, masked in that creepy protective medical hood regarded her. “You brought guests? How rude to not inform your host. You know that’s bad form.” 

“Where are Kenna and Max?” Phineas said calmly but Nyoka noticed his left hand clenching and unclenching.

“I found your little serum vials. You’re going to answer for what you’ve done.” Nyoka glowered but the masked figure just chuckled.

“Done? My dear, you know only survival. What I’m doing here might interest you.”

“I doubt that very much.” Nyoka lowered her LMG but did not ease her stance. “So you’re LaRocque. Look like some labcoat playing at being a serial villain to me.”

“Well I might not look like much to you but I see Welles over there picking his brain. Do I sound familiar Phineas Welles, does the name LaRocque rattle in your brain? Do you know who I am?"

"Some dead bitch." Nyoka growled.

Reaching up with both hands she removed her mask. Other than her eyes burning with hatred she was relatively pleasant to look at. Phineas had seen that face in his nightmares. “Look upon my face. Do I look familiar? Do I resemble someone you’ve seen before? Someone THAT YOU KILLED!?”

Nyoka gasped. “That’s a fuckin’ twist. Wait. What is she talking about? Doc? Doc?” she shook Phineas’ shoulder.

“Abigail LaRocque.” Phineas at last, slow and careful. “Yes, I know your face.”

“Close.” She said “Her records didn’t mention she had a twin. Melissa LaRocque and I’ll be scourge of the colonies pretty soon.”

“What do you mean?” 

“You’re confused. Allow me to explain.” 

Nyoka sighed. “Oh boy here we go with the exposition.”

“Hush. My sister and I joined the Hope to better the colony through science. We both graduated with honors, studying neurology to help people born with disabilities. We dreamed of helping the blind see, the paralyzed walk. People thought it was science fiction. We would change all that. But you, in your botched attempt to revive the frozen colonists melted her into a puddle.”

“So he melted your sister and you want revenge. What’s this got to do with Kenna and Max and those people you injected?” Nyoka demanded. “Skip to the part about why you kidnapped Kenna and Max.”

Phineas was busy grinding his teeth to dust. He remembered Abigail...and her scream. He’d never heard a scream like that. It made his ears ring for hours. “Who are you to judge me for my failures? Return Kenna and Max to us, unharmed. Now."

“It still tears at you at night, doesn’t it?” Melissa’s smile was unpleasant. “Even when you hold your loved one you remember you’re a monster. I wonder if the colony knows. Not just whatever vague accusations the Board put on your bounty poster to hide the fact that they couldn't control one of their own but the real, true reason. The human cost of your failure.”

“That’s enough.” Phineas cut in. “What do you want, Melissa? My research on the Tactical Time Delay? A ransom in bits or supplies?”

Melissa shook her head. “You can keep your piddling research. With what I have achieved here I will be set for life. I’ve extracted the secrets of the TTD from your precious Kenna. In fact I’ll show her to you.”

Phineas and Nyoka turned as one to see Kenna standing in the door as it slid open. She regarded them with a blank expression, her blonde hair about her shoulders. She looked alright otherwise. Phineas’ heart soared at the sight of her but something was...wrong. He started to go to her but instinct and Nyoka’s hand clutching his bicep gave him pause. The suit she was in reminded Nyoka of the hibernation suits she’d seen with all the gizmos and doodads on it but this suit was white with black accents. 

The plasma cutter in her hand was something else again. 

“I’ve discovered how to make the TTD continuous. With my serum, anyone becomes the perfect predator. Modern science meets man’s ancient survival instincts. We will be beholden to no one. We will not accept Halcyon’s broken promise and make our own way in the galaxy. We will gather more to our cause. The Board and its lackeys will cower at the name LaRocque. " Melissa grinned wide and spread her arms. "So as to what I want, Phineas. I do not want your bits, your research or your pity. I want your suffering. Your greatest prize turned against you. NOW!”

At that last word Kenna seemed jolted awake, closed the distance between her and Phineas with blinding speed, plasma cutter in hand.


	17. Chapter 17

Phineas flung his arms up in defense but the blow never came. He heard Kenna grunt, and when he moved his arms he saw her rolling Chris’ limp body off of her.

“Shit.” Nyoka breathed. Everyone seemed frozen and she let out a trembling gasp realizing the plasma cutter had been used, the cut burnt around the edges and the stench of burned flesh reached their nostrils. Chris moved slightly with a groan. So he was alive. For now.

Slumping against the wall Chris stared down at the wound that nearly spanned his torso and let out a terrified cry. Instantly Phineas was beside him. “Be still. “ he instructed and began inspecting the wound. “Relax, it’s not as bad as it looks. See, it’s cauterized. Had this been an officer’s spine you’d be dead.”

Lifting a hand Chris pointed. "Look out!”

A loud _thok_ and Kenna almost looked like her normal self, her face contorting in confusion. Blinking she turned to see who had bounced the bottle off her head. 

“Come on, let’s see you use your tactical bullshit on me.” Nyoka taunted. Sure enough Kenna sped toward her but Nyoka fended off her blows with her tremor axe trying to use the broad side rather than its vibrating edge. “Fucking- snap out of it, Kenna! It’s us!”

“Bravo, bravo.” Melissa applauded from her surveillance monitor. Kenna stood still, holding her plasma cutter outstretched. “Go on Kenna, I’ll give you one more chance.”

“What do we do, just knock her out or something?” Nyoka suggested barely fending off the rapid blows only for Kenna to retreat again. 

“Don’t hurt her- help her!” Chris shouted over the din of Kenna’s weapon. 

“How?”

“She went this way!” Rhett puffed along the hallway, Max and Felix close behind him. 

“Be careful! “ Nyoka warned. “She’s berserk or something.” 

Kenna’s scalp was torn where the bottle had struck her and even then she didn’t slow down. But now with three new enemies she stopped to calculate her move. 

“That doesn’t make sense.” Max said slowly. “We were going to find Chris and escape but Kenna disappeared.”

The cutter caught on Max’s prismatic hammer -a gift from Kenna he’d never thought he’d have to use against her- and he realized what the others were saying was true. Her face was tranquil as though her body moved of its own volition against them. A puppet without strings.  
“Kenna!” he said as he struggled against her trying to cut through his weapon, disarm him, deprive him of it somehow “Kenna, wake up!”

Max had seen Kenna at her worst. Beaten, bloody, angry, spitting out teeth. He’d seen her eyes ablaze with fury, the same fury that burned in him. Both of them had so much anger that they tried to bury. But now, her eyes were blank. 

He shoved her away but she came for him again, weapon raised for a decapitating blow. 

Then she stopped. Life surged back into her but she flung the cutter to the floor, stumbled a few steps with a hand pressed to her head dropping at Max’s feet.

Behind her several yards away Rhett lowered the tranq gun. He was pale, and looked sick letting out a cry for fear he killed Kenna. The gun slid from his grasp. An iron grip on his shoulder spun him around and Rhett found himself staring up at the red haired hunter. 

“The fuck did you do?” She demanded.

Rhett on the other hand found himself captivated by this beauty. Her smooth dark skin, red twists falling artfully over one eye. She stared back at him, confused. “Uh, speak English?”

Shaking his head to regain his senses, Rhett glanced down at Kenna as Max and Felix fussed over her while Phineas barked orders at them on what to check. “Just a tranq dart.”

Snatching up the gun from the floor Nyoka inspected it. Then setting it down she picked up the dart Felix had pulled from Kenna’s thigh. “You injected her with enough tranquilizer to knock out a damn wooly cow.”

Rhett only shrugged. 

“Traitor.” Melissa said. “Mr. Heiskanen, consider this your termination. I’ll have your ashes sent back to Sweden or whatever.”

“I’m Finnish, you ignorant old hag.”

Rhett caught sight of Phineas crouched beside Chris, pressing what looked to be a garment to the wounded man’s torso. He took off dropping to his knees on Chris’ other side. “You dumbass, what did you do?”

Chris smiled ruefully grasping Rhett’s hand. “Something...really fuckin’ stupid as usual.”

“Look, Melissa.” Nyoka took one more swig from her flask. “I know you’re all set about revenge or whatever but you’ve already lost. Unless you’ve got some dastardly back up plan, you’re just a cornered sprat. You’re outnumbered and outgunned.”

She gestured to Phineas. “What Phineas did was what every doctor does in their career- they fail. They miscalculate, they screw up and the cost is a life. You don’t think that doesn’t eat away at him every day? He said he knew your face, your sister’s face. He knew her name. She was a person. And so is he. A flawed human being. So you want to hurt him back? You want to hurt Kenna, a stranger to you, maybe. Treat her like a faceless experiment just because she loves the wrong person?”

Phineas left Rhett to tend to Chris. The bleeding had stopped for now. Melissa watched the old doctor half crawl half drag himself to where Kenna lay. “Move, MOVE.” he commanded. Max and Felix retreated.

“What’s wrong with her?” Felix asked. He looked to be on the verge of tears. Max reached out and steadied him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Aside from the tranquilizer,” Phineas said heavily. “I don’t know yet.”

Nyoka went on “Is this what your sister would have wanted? You set out to heal people, you said it yourself.”

Melissa swallowed hard. “I…” Her eyes went to the boy, the vicar leaning forward to quietly reassure him. 

“Well?” Nyoka pressed, brows coming together. 

“Shit, “ Rhett said, eyes leaping from Chris to Kenna and back “Shit…” he pressed his back to the wall, face in his hands.

Even Max looked speechless for once in his life. Melissa shook her head rapidly and the monitor cut out.

“We have to leave…” Rhett said “Gotta get these two to a sawbones, now.”

“They won’t make it.” Melissa answered him, in the flesh this time. She knelt beside Phineas who fixed her with a glare. Ignoring him Melissa lifted one of Kenna’s eyelids, then the other. “I can treat her to flush the serum from her system. If not, she’s at high risk for a brain aneurysm like my other subjects in this state. I can still save her. We can still save her. If you’ll trust me.”

Phineas looked around at all the others for approval. He was not the only one who loved Kenna after all. Felix shook his head. Nyoka shrugged. Max gave him a single nod.

“Fine.” Phineas concluded through clenched teeth. 

-

Melissa was kind enough to lend her tools to Phineas. He could still do neat sutures even if his med school days were ancient history. Part of him wanted to use the cruder method of thread and curved needle only because it would hurt more. It was a little more sadistic fun to use the laser since Chris knew that if he flinched it might be his end. 

“All done.” Phineas said as he secured the last of the wrapping. “I’ll write down some aftercare instructions for you later.”  
Turning to the sink he turned on the tap, washing his hands. Just then a ding signified his gloves were sanitized. Removing them from the sterilizer he pulled them back on.

“Thank you.” Chris tugged his shirt back on.

His back still to the younger man Phineas said “I did it for Kenna.”

Chris blinked then frowned. “You can pretend to not be jealous all you want, Phin. But I promise you you have nothing to worry about.”

His palms flat on the counter, Phineas still did not turn around. “Mr. Lane, jealousy is beneath me….is what I told myself. The reality is…” Now he turned to face Chris. “I am jealous. Jealous of the time you spent with Kenna all those decades ago. But mostly I feel pity that you lost her. You are part of her past, nothing more.”

“Which is why you got so mad when she left.” Chris raised his brows and when the older man narrowed his eyes he knew the barb struck. But he stood up buttoning his shirt. “We all chase the past, Doc. Truth is, I’m jealous of you. But you know? Love someone, set ‘em free, all that jazz.”

Phineas replied in a monotone. “You led her into a trap almost to her death, I do not forgive you.”

Chris paled. “That’s fair.”

The older man sighed. “In time, I might.”

“What about Melissa?”

Phineas nodded slowly. “In time. I see a lot of myself in her. It’s like looking into a mirror, almost. I don’t blame her for her anger.”

“A neurologist would be a great addition to your team-” something soft bounced off his head. Looking down, a pack of gauze was at his feet. Carefully, Chris had to squat to retrieve it. 

“For the seepage.” Phineas clarified arms folded, hands tucked under.

“You know, your bedside manner could use some work.”

The silence that fell between them made Typhon seem warm as a summer day.

“What happens now?” Chris asked.

“What happens?” Phineas repeated. “We wait.”

The door slid open.

“She’s going to be fine. “Max said to the visible relief of his audience. Phineas patted Max’s arm in passing and hurried past him. Turning to Chris Max said “And what of you, Mr. Lane?”

Lifting his shirt Chris revealed his carefully bandaged abdomen. “Gonna be fine.”

Max gestured to his face. “Sorry about-”

Chris rubbed his chin remembering his sore jaw. “Water under the bridge. I think we both know I deserved worse.”

“It is not my place to say.”

The lull with the preacher was at least calm. They both started down the hall. Max seemed to know his way but kept pace with Chris.

“Can’t believe she really goes for guys like him.” Chris grumbled to himself.

Max lifted a hand in a miniature shrug “Again, I cannot say. I can merely speculate. Dr. Welles does have a certain ebullient charm. He also possesses a paternal quality that women instinctively like. He is highly intelligent, self sacrificing and good natured.” He paused. “Or it could just be you are an asshole. If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Lane.” Clasping his hands behind his back, Vicar Max continued down the hallway alone.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Chris stood there like an idiot with his mouth hanging open.


	18. Chapter 18

The first thing Kenna was aware of was pain. A dull ache that seemed to throb with every beat of her heart.  
She tried to get her bearings and with a surge of adrenaline opened her eyes. No restraints. No guards. Someone to her right stifled a cough and there was a soft clicking noise. Kenna managed to turn her head to the right just enough to observe her visitor in profile. To her weary eyes he seemed to just be a blob of brown, green and silver. Then her vision sharpened and the narrow features she had come to love were crystal clear. Phineas! She wanted to call him but her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth.  
If only she had some water, a piece of ice, even. There were darkened circles under his eyes and he had stubble on his cheeks. Her poor darling. How long had he sat there and worried?

At last she managed a dusty, hoarse "Phin?"

He nearly dropped his datapad, turning to her, his face a blank slate. Kenna suddenly felt helpless. Had Phineas come to tell her it was over? Was he only here to monitor her as his prized subject? Now Kenna felt the same trepidation as the first time she’d awakened from a long slumber with Phineas’ face as the first she’d seen in seventy years. On top of that she felt miserable, hot and cold at the same time with a peculiar pins and needles sensation running from the bottom of her skull to the tips of her toes and back again. Several blankets had been laid across her and under her head was a fat lumpy pillow. She felt packed up like a porcelain knickknack. 

“Phin,” She began again, hoping to appeal to his emotional side by using the affectionate nickname. “Before you start, let me explain.”

Kenna babbled on just to fill the aching silence. “Listen, I-I was stupid and foolish to run off and chase a dream. I took you for granted. I know I’m in the wrong. I just wanted another chance at the life I left behind. I know that’s the past and you can’t spend your entire life looking back. "

But Phineas said nothing, still wearing a mask of indifference.  
If only he would speak! Why wouldn’t he speak?

“Look, I’m sorry, alright? Please don’t do the ‘silent treatment’, for law’s sake- yell if you want! Shout for the entire place to hear, ‘Kenna Kay Frost is a liar with big ugly shoulders!’”

Kenna didn’t know why she mentioned her shoulders. She was insecure about them as they were wider than most women’s. It made finding jackets and getting certain to shirts fit difficult.

Now Phineas leaned over her until his face filled her vision. He took a breath in preparation to speak and at long last said “You’re insane.”

He’d said that to her before even though he’d all but begged her to rescue him from Tartarus, or perhaps he didn’t expect her to actually do it. It had been a glorious battle versus the finest of Universal Dynamics Logistics, a story Kenna told the most often next to her first impression of Terra 2 when Phineas had so rudely deposited her there with hardly a clue of what was going on. 

Kenna grew a bit frightened, feeling small and vulnerable under her mountain of blankets. Her arm was bruised around the IV needle taped in place there and the side of her head stung too. Please don’t break my heart and leave me here hurting alone. 

Yet there was no storm brewing in his eyes. Phineas became gentle as ever and he murmured. “You have beautiful shoulders.” He caressed her face. “Thank the stars you are alright.” 

He kissed her with such tender longing Kenna’s heart plunged with guilt but rose back up in the thrill he always gave her. Standing over her bed Phineas smiled down at her, then his smile fell. “What’s wrong?”

Pins and needles. Kenna thought a good stretch was what they needed. But they would not obey her orders to move. “I can’t- “ her mouth worked but no words came out. “M-my legs, I can’t feel my-”  
Kenna sucked in a breath “I CAN’T FEEL MY LEGS! PHINEAS!”

“Dr. LaRocque assured me it would only be for a few hours.” Phineas said as he squeezed each of her legs from mid thigh working down to the ankle and back again. “Nothing?”

“No!” Kenna wailed and began to cry in earnest. She felt her head, her hair was greasy and a curious raised line appeared under her groping fingers. What the hell happened? 

Instantly Phineas cradled Kenna’s face in his hands and shushed her. “It’s alright, It’s temporary. It’s temporary. Shh-shh...darling. Darling. It’s temporary. Precious darling, it’s alright-”

“But what if it’s not?”

“It will be. I love you.”

“I love you. I’m sorry.”

-

Kenna did her best to obey orders to recover quickly but she did get bored. Feeling did return to her legs but she was left weakened which only another bout of rest could solve. She hated feeling helpless, having to lay around but mostly she was lonely having to wait for others to come to her. Rhett was the first and the two ended up bawling on one another’s shoulders about the whole ordeal. Then Chris arrived and showed Kenna the cut she’d unintentionally inflicted on him. Eventually she, Chris and Rhett found themselves in her room sitting around blinking for a while before trying to figure out how they ended up like this. There had been shouting, tears, a few thrown objects but in the end they could only blame their own stupidity. At least that was the summary Kenna gave to Phineas later.  
Leaning back on her throne of pillows she said "Now gentlemen what did we learn?"

"What we always learn when we do dumb shit." Rhett crossed his legs. "Nothing."

They were silent.

"We really are too old for this shit." Chris muttered to the agreement of the others. "So where does that leave us? Just in the past?"

"I think, " Rhett toyed with the hem of his shirt. "We forgot we came here for a new start. And that's over. I mean. I still want to be friends but maybe it's best if we all move on."

"I figured we'd be like Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal." Chris sighed. 

"No, fuck that." Kenna countered "We're Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. I'm gonna write a song about how much you suck and make you play guitar on it."

"Okay well I am going to go find some food. " Patting his knees Rhett stood and left.

Even after he closed the door Rhett could still hear Kenna and Chris laughing. 

“Hey.” Nyoka waved lazily at him then hurried to match his pace. “Wanted to say that was one hell of a shot.”

“What? Oh, it was nothing.” Rhett rubbed the back of his neck. He wasn’t sure if she was following him or they just happened to be going the same way. “I meant to tell you thanks for helping end things peacefully. Things could have gone pear shaped fast and without Melissa Kenna might be space dust."

“It’s no big deal.” Nyoka paused. “I admit I wanted to go in guns blazing but I think there’s been enough of that. So what are you gonna do now?”

“I don’t know. All our tour dates got cancelled with Kenna and Chris out of commission. But I think we’re gonna just be on hiatus for the moment until we figure out what to do.” He signed. “Likely gonna retire. It’s too much work.”

“Too bad. I kinda wanted to see it.”

“Well, we are going to keep playing for fun. At Kenna’s house parties.” Rhett offered. 

Nyoka pondered a moment. “I might drop by. Maybe. Kenna at least knows how to keep a liquor cabinet stocked proper. But you know, people drift apart. They drift in and out of your life. They change, you change. That's the way of it. And well, if you're meant to be in each other's lives it will happen. If not, well..."

They walked in silence a while.

“So,” Rhett began. “How did you and Kenna meet?”

Taking a deep breath Nyoka dug through nearly two years of memories. “Back on Monarch. I was at the bar, the Yacht Club, and this pushy little blonde asks me to guide her to Devil’s Peak…”

-

“Alright. Okay. So pretty good turnout tonight, huh, Ken?” Chris picked up his water bottle and took a drink. They usually had their between song banter down pat but now was perhaps time for new material. The old house party performance reminded him of their early days. Halcyon days as it were, a three instrument ensemble tucked into a corner just so, and everyone in every room could hear the music. Behind him Rhett had ditched half his attire, even his shoes. He liked to operate the pedals barefoot and stripped to the waist as he was now was getting a few looks. 

“Yeah, everyone who was invited came, and they invited a plus one, and they invited a plus one. But that’s okay! So as you know we are Icespell.” Kenna gestured to the others kicking off her shoes. Someone in the back of the room whooped. “Yeah, that’s Chris Lane on vocals.”

Cheers. His mouth full of water Chris could only give a thumbs up.

“And that’s Rhett Heiskanen on drums. Thunder skins!” Kenna cheered him. “Check out those guns!”

Rhett stood from his seat and took a quick bow before sitting back down to a scatter of chuckles and applause.

“And I’m Kenna Frost. Aye!” 

Whistles, cheering and wild applause. 

“Kenna, why don’t you take over on vocals?” Chris suggested loosening his tie. 

She smiled, nonplussed. “What?”

“Come on!” Turning to the audience he grinned. “Help me out. Sing, Kenna! Sing, sing, sing…!”

The audience took up the chant. Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing! Sing!

“Alright, fine!” Kenna gave in and adjusted her mic stand. “There is one song I can do.” Slinging off her electric guitar she set it on its stand and took up an acoustic. “This is actually the first song I ever learned, when I was sixteen years old. So don’t laugh. Hope you like it, this one is called Iris.”

Even without the TTD sometimes a few minutes can stretch into an eternity. Kenna didn’t really like her singing voice much. Without the hot stage lights or swarms of people she could clearly see all the smiling faces. Still, she kept her eyes closed, losing herself in the song.

When she opened them her eyes fell on Phineas and she forgot about everyone else in the room.


	19. Chapter 19

“So what did you think?” Kenna asked Phineas as they ducked out of the party to take some fresh air on the balcony. Above the sky was extravagant with stars. It reminded Phineas of the first party he’d attended since the end of his exile to humor Kenna. But now nothing could draw his gaze heavenward. He felt a bit silly fawning over Kenna so much but Phineas was looking after her as she was still a touch weak from her ordeal. She didn’t seem annoyed by his smothering concern at least. At Phineas’ insistence the spare bed was moved closer when Kenna was still recovering aboard the Merciful Fate. For days Phineas lay beside Kenna in the second bed talking to her, eating with her and sleeping. Sometimes they’d lay there just holding hands as they did in their early days of courtship.

“You were extraordinary, my darling. Perfect, enchanting, sublime. “ Phineas took her hands smiling into her tired face. His brows came together in concern. “Still getting those bouts of fatigue?”

“Yeah, “ She admitted. No use lying, he’d know. “And my feet are killing me.”

Glancing over his shoulder at the door Phineas smirked. “Tell you what, when all the folks clear out it’s you, me, serial and a foot massage.”

She grinned. “That sounds good to me!”

They sat down on a bench still holding hands. After a moment Kenna rose up to her knees, arms folded on the metal balustrade gazing out at Byzantium. 

“Hon? Can I ask you something?” Kenna said suddenly.

“Of course, darling.”

Sitting back down she took up his hands again. “I still feel really bad about what happened. But I want you to know I’m taking us seriously. I want to do something to prove it and show everyone ‘hey we’re together’. So I was thinking…”

Phineas drew a breath. “Marriage is just another construct to control the masses, you know how I feel about it. Love’s got nothing to do with it. We have one another, we don’t need to make an empty gesture to appease small minded people who think we’re odd-”

She dropped his hands at that “It’s not empty to me!”

Normally she agreed with him. Phineas frowned. What was wrong now?

“Listen,” Kenna went on. “I’m not talking about contracts, I'm talking about commitment. We make a promise to each other. Our words, not a corporation’s. That’s how things used to be done.” Then she deflated. “ But...I guess we don’t need to change anything about what we have. It’s okay. Really.”

Silence had not been this painful in a while. “So you’re saying we should have a wedding anyway?” Phineas asked slowly.

“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying. Get all our friends and declare our love for everyone to see. That’s what it used to be like.” Kenna was floundering now. “But if you don’t-”

“Let’s do it.”

“What?”

“All our friends are already here.”

Kenna’s face was luminous with happiness. “Right now?” 

“Why not?” Phineas stood. “Let’s go round up the folks, shall we?”

-

“What’s goin’ on?” Felix asked as he saw Rhett, Nyoka, Parvati and Junlei enter the balcony area.

“Dunno. Kenna called us all out here and asked us to wait. She and Dr. Welles have something to announce, I think?” Parvati shrugged.

“But where are they?” Junlei wondered aloud. They watched Vicar Max enter with a peculiar look on his face with Kenna on his elbow. 

Chris stumbled in behind him. “Drunk at my ex’s wedding, yeah that tracks.” 

“You keep on like that and the vicar’s gonna toss you over the balcony.” Alice warned him. Liam snickered beside her. 

“I’ve never officiated a wedding before.” Max admitted. “I’m unclear on how to proceed.”

Alice flapped her hands dismissively “It’s fine, preacher. Listen. You just blab on something about love and such, then ask the two if they’re gonna love, honor and cherish each other- improvise! Then-” pausing she glanced about her at the confused faces. “Oh law, don’t any of you know what a wedding is? “

“It would appear safe to assume they do not.” Liam observed dryly. “No rings or anything.”

“We’ll improvise, like you said.” Kenna interrupted. “Wait a second, I have an idea. What about handfasting?”

“That’s a fantastic idea!” Alice approved. “Except we need a cord or a ribbon or-”

Instantly Felix pulled his long skinny tie from its knot, handing the yellow length out to them.  
“Will this work?”

“Fee Fee!” Kenna cooed. “I could kiss you.”

Felix gave her a lopsided grin. “Well what’s stopping you?”

With a chuckle Kenna laid a noisy smooch on the young man’s cheek. 

“I’ll take that.” said Alice and Felix surrendered his tie to her. “I’ll show you what to do with it at the proper time.”

Max still stood there like an idiot unsure what he was supposed to do then scanned the room. “I believe we will need another person. Not even Kenna is vain enough to marry herself.”

Kenna raised a fist “Watch it, Maxie. I’m also not NOT trashy enough to start a fight at my own wedding.”

“Let’s just all calm down, okay?” Rhett interposed. “Where is Phineas? Hope he didn’t get cold feet.”

“I’m here! I’m here.” Phineas stumbled in. “What are we doing?”

“Where have you been?” Kenna asked him through clenched teeth, her voice rising and eyes wild with fury and mortification. 

“I was-” Phineas looked at something in his palm. “Writing speeches.” He handed it to Max. “Read that.”

Turning the paper over Max said “Okay.”

Waving down the guests, Alice called out “All of you hush, now.”

Clearing his throat Max began to read. “‘You are going to die, bitch.’”

His audience was speechless.

“Oh! That’s a letter I was writing to Anton Crane. “ Phineas snatched the letter back and patted himself down. “I seem to have dropped it in my haste. Give me half an hour and-” 

“No no, it’s fine, I can just improvise.” Max took a deep breath. Oh please let me come up with some pretty words. Kenna stared at him expectantly, then a little apologetic. She didn’t mean to have him on the spot like this. “We gather here on this...balcony to witness the joining of our two beloved friends. Phineas Welles and Kenna Frost. “

He gestured toward the two standing side by side. 

He tipped Kenna a wink. I’ve got this.  
"Our time in the universe is short and whether we follow a rigid path or drift down a winding road we are often met with the unexpected. We find that once we release the illusion of control we might discover true happiness that is not canned, prepackaged or a signed piece of paper filed away for later. We find our own certainty. I, as well as many of the rest of you have had the privilege of knowing these two individuals and followed their love story. So tonight, amid the stars let us celebrate that love." 

Max looked to Alice for help. "Hold hands." she ordered. Kenna was bubbling with excitement as she took Phineas’ hands. Gesturing for him to lean down, Alice whispered something to Max and clearing his throat he went on.

“This cord symbolizes your bond. ” Max said as Alice wound the borrowed tie around their hands. Felix beamed at them, proud of his contribution. “Do either of you have words you might speak?”

“I have something I’d like to say.” Phineas replied and took a deep breath letting it out slowly. Then he realized he couldn’t reach the speech he’d written as it was in his pocket. Oh well. He could just wing it. “Kenna. Dearest Kenna. I’m continuously amazed by you. Your wild spirit, your infinite grace, your capacity for goodness.” He held her hands tighter. “When we first met I’d nearly given up hope. But you have given me my life back and I want to share it with you.”

Behind him he heard Felix sniff. Parvati laid her head on Junlei’s shoulder. Alice and Max smiled warmly. “And you, Kenna?” Max asked.

Kenna was nearly in tears. She composed herself long enough to speak. “Phineas, my love, my rock, my mad scientist. My port in a storm. It’s been a wild ride. You brought me back to life. I crossed the stars to find you. “ She sniffed and tears slid down her cheeks anyway “Sorry, I always cry at weddings. I love you.”

Max rested his hand on their bound hands. “Let it be so then, as this gathering and the stars look down in witness. I declare this couple bound as one.”

Alice was grinning ear to ear, fists up in excitement. “Now KISS!”

They needed no more encouragement. Forgetful of the symbolism as soon as Max released their hands the tie fell off and as though they’d planned it, Phineas caught Kenna in an embrace dipping her toward the floor and kissed her. The cheers were loud enough to rattle the windows.

-

“You. Were. Great!” Kenna said, planting a kiss on Max’s cheek between each word to his amusement. “You came up with that on the fly?”

“Well I did perhaps paraphrase from a serial or two.” Max admitted. 

“Still. It was wonderful. Thank you for making it so special.” Kenna hugged Max so hard it made the vicar grunt. Grinning at him one last time she held his hand briefly and flounced off to bid good night to the rest of her guests.

Max offered a hand to Phineas who shook it firmly. “Doctor.”

Phineas smiled. “Thank you, vicar. For this evening and much more. “ He watched Kenna hugging Parvati and Junlei good night. “We’re fortunate to have a friend like you. I don’t think I’ve thanked you…” he trailed off and they both saw Rhett with his arm around Chris.

“We’re headed out,” Rhett picked up Chris’s wrist, waved his hand at them then let it drop. “Somebody’s had too much.”

Chris seemed to come back to himself. “Hey Phineas.” He said thickly. 

“Yes?”

Wearily, Chris raised a hand and gave him the finger. 

“Dude!” Rhett cried but before he could drag his friend away Chris waved his hand apologetically then gave a thumbs up. Swearing under his breath Rhett said “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

“Come on hullheads, gonna miss the shuttle!” Nyoka called and arms full of leftovers Felix ran after her. 

Peeking over his mountain of takings he said “Kenna said I could! G’night! Had a good time!” and passed by them out the door.

"Kenna is recovering well." Max observed. He and Phineas watched Kenna playing around on her acoustic rather than putting things away as she was supposed to be doing.

"I am sorry you got caught up in this." Phineas said regretfully. "I can't thank you enough for looking after Kenna. Then as now. " His expression darkened a bit. "I know you hid things from me about what LaRocque did to her."

Max gulped. But Phineas went on "Just as well. Kenna said you knew I'd be rash. That could have cost us-" the scientist paused to swallow "Entirely too much." Lowering his gaze he turned to meet Max's. "Can I still count on you, vicar? To...look after Kenna...even after I-"

"Of course." 

"You're a good brother, Max." To his surprise, Phineas pulled Max in for a brief hug. "It puts one at ease. We all know -we skirt around it but...I'm at the twilight of my life. I'll rest easy knowing Kenna has friends- family- to fall back on." He tried a smile now. "Well don't let us damper the mood with such morbid talk, eh?" He clapped Max on the shoulder. "My but you gave Mr. Lane a busted jaw. You'll have to tell me that story sometime."

Max laughed. It took much cajoling and prying to get Kenna to let go of his ankles when he at last took his leave.

-

At last all the guests were gone. The house was quiet again as Geezer clinked by on his metal legs to start cleaning up. It would probably take the poor mechanical until dawn. 

“Well now I think you’ll like what comes after the wedding.” Kenna said as she finished switching off the sound equipment. 

“Why, what comes after?” Phineas asked intrigued.

The smile she gave him was full of promise. “We do.”

“And again, and again, and again.”

“I still want that footrub. “ Pulling him closer by his tie Kenna kissed the tip of Phineas’ nose. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it worth your while. Husband.”

He chuckled to himself. “Wife.”

Class act she was, Kenna stripped naked on the way to the shower. Phineas could hear her singing over the running water. Law, he’d missed that. Missed her. When she turned the water off he stood there holding out her towel wrapping it around her, kissing her damp forehead. He held her for a while until she made a little whining noise. 

Phineas then showered. He did by himself even though Kenna always insisted they do so together but he wasn’t a fan of her boiling hot temperature preference. He stopped to catch his reflection in the mirror. Still an old man, but he felt younger. But maybe he was seeing whatever Kenna saw. 

The aetherwave was on, twin mugs of tea steaming on the table and Kenna lay there strumming her acoustic. Even with wet hair, no makeup and her gaudy galaxy printed kimono, blowing a raspberry every time she missed a note then deciding to make up a song composed solely of flatulent noises, Phineas couldn’t help but sigh at her beauty. 

She set the instrument aside. “What’s up? Something the matter?”

Phineas shook his head. “Everything is perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my law this ending was so self indulgent sksksksks
> 
> So that's the end! Special thanks to jump_ship, duchess_of_strumpetness, itzteegan as well as the TOW community on Tumblr -you guys fucking rule! - and my Discord writing groups for all their kind words, support and feedback. 
> 
> Skip speed to y'all! Until next time!


End file.
